


Save Me

by DarkEchoes



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Extremely Dubious Consent, F/F, Humanstuck, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Multi, Overdosing, Rape, Self-Harm, Sexual Abuse, Sibling Incest, Stridercest - Freeform, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, alternate umiverse, davekat - Freeform, rosemary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2018-06-02 14:54:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 28
Words: 21,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6570553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkEchoes/pseuds/DarkEchoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>* or "supply" teacher if you aren't from America. Also sometimes called a guest teacher.</p>
        </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

     "Sorry bro, but I'm busy all weekend." Dave said, trying to ignore the momentary look of disappointment that crossed over John's face.  
     "Hanging out with your Bro again?"  
     "Yeah... He always wants to strife and shit." Dave was suddenly very glad for the shades he wore constantly. If he didn't, John would have seen the fear in his eyes.  
     "Right... Can you text me if you're free? Maybe I can come over."  
     "Yeah, sure bro." Not that he would be free and John would never be able to come over. Bro didn't let him have friends over. He didn't even let him go to other kids houses. The only person that he could ever see outside of school was Rose, and that was because Bro and her mom had a history.  
     "Dave!" Dave was pulled out of his thoughts as John shouted his name. Apparently, John had been trying to get his attention for a good while.  
     "Sorry bro. Zoned out again." John smiled sadly.  
     "Up late last night finishing the homework?" Up late last night: yes. Doing homework: no.  
     "You bet I was. What did you need?"  
     "Have you seen the new kid?" Dave looked around. He had been so focused on keeping himself awake that he wasn't even aware there was a new kid. "He's always really angry and shouty.  
     "Shouty?"  
     "Yes! He's really loud!" Dave stared at John for a moment and then snorted.  
     "Louder than you're being?"  
     "Yes!" John groaned and Dave hissed in a breath.  
     "Damn. Is he in any of my classes?"  
     "He's in all of your classes, Dave." John said and Dave stared at him.  
     "Really?"  
     "Yes. How did you not notice him? He's always with this really tall guy, I think his name is Gamzee?"  
     "The tall guy?" Dave asked and John nodded. "I know Gamzee. He gives me drugs sometimes."  
     "Woah! You do drugs?" Dave laughed quietly.  
     "I said he gives them to me, not that I ask for them or use them." John's face flushed red in embarrassment and he looked down at his hands. "I gotta head home now. Bro will be worried if I don't show in time for dinner."  
     "Bye Dave! See you Monday."

     Dave set his bag down by the door and looked around. If the stench alone weren't obvious enough, the bottles scattered around the room let Dave know to lay low. It's not like it would be the first time he went without dinner. Besides, dinner meant being abused by his brother, and after that, he wouldn't be able to stomach any food. So, to his room he went.   
     Dave sat down at his desk and powered up his computer, flinching as it screamed. He slammed his hand down on the mute key and sat frozen, waiting for any hint that he had woken Bro. After a few minutes, he exhaled quietly and pulled up PesterChum.   
  
     -- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 17:27 --

TG: hey bro  
EB: Hi Dave! How's your bro?  
TG: hes fine  
TG: making dinner like a fucking housewife or some shit  
EB: So you can't come over?  
TG: no  
EB: :(  
TG: sorry bro  
TG: i wish i could hang around  
TG: but dinners calling

     -- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 17:32 --

     Dave powered his computer off right as the door to his room was pushed open. Bro leaned against the door frame, the back of his hand pressed to his forehead.   
     "Where are my shades?"  _Fuck._ __  
"I don't have them." Dave had to force himself not to jump as Bro took a step forward.  
     "Well I don't have them either, and you know which one of us I trust more?"  
     "Bro, I don't-" Dave was cut short as he was punched and then shoved to the ground. Bro walked over to him and sat down on his chest, reaching up to take off his shades. He tossed them across the room and smirked as Dave tensed underneath him.  
     "I hope you have makeup." Bro hummed and punched Dave.

 


	2. Chapter 2

     Dave slid into his desk with a hiss of pain, that he quickly played off as a cough.   
     "Hey Dave!" John exclaimed, throwing his hands down on Dave's shoulders. Dave let out a strangled scream and John recoiled in shock. Luckily, no one else was in the classroom yet. "Fuck, are you okay?"  
     "Yeah bro..." Dave whispered and then cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm good. You just... Came out of nowhere." He forced a laugh, which made John laugh in response.   
     "Sorry. So, how was your weekend?"  _Shitty as hell._  
     "It was cool. I worked on my sword fighting skills with Bro,"  _Ha. Sword fighting. How clever you are, Mr. Strider._  
 _"_ Ugh, my dad brought me shopping with him. It took all weekend! I wish I had a cool parent like Bro who would show me how to sword fight!" _No you don't._  
     "Yeah man, it's so cool- Who the hell is that?" A kid had stepped into the classroom. Dave assumed he was in fact in high school, but with his height, no one would have been able to guess.  
     "That's Karkat, the new kid I was telling you about." John whispered and Dave laughed.  
     "Karkat?"  
     "Yeah! Hey, Karkat! Come sit over here!" Karkat looked up at them, saw Dave, and scowled.   
     "I don't think you can wear sunglasses in the building." He said and reached to grab them but Dave caught his wrist.   
     "I don't think you're in charge of me." John bit his lip to keep from laughing. "And, since you apparently are unaware, I have permission from the teachers to wear these."  
     "Why do you need permission?" Karkat challenged and Dave raised an eyebrow.  
     "Why does it matter to you?" Dave snapped and Karkat stared at him.   
     "Have I hit something?" Dave forced himself to stay seated. Standing up would not be a good idea right now, especially not jumping up.   
     "Do you want to shut up or should I make you?" Karkat eyed him and then smirked.  
     "I don't think you can do much of anything right now. The thing about getting into fights is that makeup doesn't cover everything." Dave worked his jaw silently.   
     "Dave, what's he talking about?" John asked quietly and Dave growled.  
     "Nothing." He turned his attention back to Karkat. "You can't just make assumptions about people, especially not when you look like a grade schooler." Karkat's face turned almost as red as his hair. Dave almost regretted it. Karkat glared at him before looking around the classroom, realizing the only person he knew was John, and sat down at the desk beside Dave. Dave would have said something douchey to him, but realized it probably was not in his best interest to continue talking to him.  
     The door opened and the teacher walked in. No wait, a substitute* teacher walked in. Dave groaned quietly and pushed himself up, ignoring the look Karkat shot him. He strolled up to the desk and the sub looked up at him.  
     "Take those sunglasses off." She said and he sighed, then leaned closer to her. He lifted them up, flashing his red eyes. She recoiled in shock and then shrugged. "That doesn't mean you can-" He sighed and lifted them up again, this time lifted his hand and wiping away some of the makeup, showing her the purple bruise and the edge of a cut.  
     "Don't say anything about it." He pleaded and she glanced at the phone on the desk. "Just leave it alone." He said and she hesitated before nodding. He moved back to his desk and sank into his chair. John shot him a questioning look and he shrugged. He felt someone nudge his arm and looked over to see Karkat staring at him.  
     "Your um... Makeup is... Not covering everything..." Dave froze as Karkat reached up and touched the corner of his eye, gently moving the makeup. He finished and quickly went back to ignoring Dave. Dave stared at him fro a moment, and then looked forward and listened to the lesson

     After school, Karkat came down to the field to find Dave. He found him sitting alone under a tree, headphones over his ears. He stepped forward awkwardly and nudged Dave's foot gently. Dave looked up, sighed, and pulled his headphones down.  
     "What do you need?"  
     "I um... I have makeup in your skin tone if you want me to bring it tomorrow." Dave stared at him for a moment, started to stand up, then realized that that was a terrible idea. Karkat sat down beside him and Dave tried to hide his relief.   
     "Why would you even consider doing that?" Karkat bit his lip.  
     "It doesn't seem like you would be able to get your own that often and it looks like you need it." Dave grunted in response and Karkat rolled his eyes. "I mean, if you're going to get yourself beat up every day, you might as well try to hide one of the ways people can tell. You can't really do much to fix your limp... You could probably just not get into fights but you don't seem like you would be able to do that."  _Wow. even when he's helping people, he's an asshole._ __  
"Yeah, that... Would be cool."  
     "Also," _Of course he wants something in return._ "We have that science project? You weren't paying attention, but we need to study the way things decompose with a partner. My-my friend isn't in that class so... Could you do it with me?"  
     "Oh, yeah. No problem, bro." Karkat smiled.  
     "Can we do it at your house? My dad doesn't let strangers come over."   
     "I'll ask my Bro." Karkat stared at him expectantly. "I- Not now. Tomorrow or something. I'll um... Do you have a pesterChum?"  
     "I have a Trollian but they're compatible." Dave nodded. "My name is carcinoGeneticist." Dave nodded.  
     "I'll pester you when I have an answer."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * or "supply" teacher if you aren't from America. Also sometimes called a guest teacher.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if the beginning seems a bit rushed, I had it all written and then my wifi crashed and I had to re write the pesterlog -_-

     -- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] at 18:02 --

TG: hey bro  
CG: HELLO DAVE.  
TG: wow  
TG: you dont even have volume control on your keyboard  
CG: FUCK YOU.  
CG: WHAT DID HE SAY?  
TG: i had to talk him into it  
TG: but you can come over thursday at 5  
CG: OKAY. CAN YOU TALK OR DO YOU NEED TO GO FIGHT SOMEONE?  
TG: im free tonight  
TG: what do you want to talk about  
CG: I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE MATH HOMEWORK.  
TG: what questions  
CG: ALL OF THEM  
TG: ill ask my bro to help  
TG: ill bring the answers tomorrow

     -- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] at 18:14 --

     Dave stared at the chat for a moment and then swore quietly. He hadn't planned on actually doing, except for the few questions he would know, but now he felt like he had to. He pushed himself up and grabbed his backpack, rummaging through it and pulling out the crumpled paper. He tiptoed down the stairs and peered into the living room. Bro was sitting on the couch, legs crossed lazily and arms spread over the back of the couch.  _Maybe he won't make me do anything for it...  
     _"Finally come down for dinner? It's on the counter." Bro said, his voice clear.  _He hasn't been drinking. Good._  
     "No, I-I need help with my homework." Bro looked over his shoulder at Dave and sighed.  
     "You know what to do." Dave bit his lip and shuffled to the front of the couch, dropping to his knees in between Bro's legs.

 

     Dave set his bag down on his desk and turned to Karkat. He handed him the math paper and watched as his expression changed.  
     "This isn't your hand writing." Karkat pointed out and Dave shrugged.  
     "My Bro did it."  
     "Your voice sounds like shit." Karkat laughed and Dave shrugged again.   
     "Guess I screamed to loudly. You know, during last night's fight." Karkat eyed him and then looked up at his face.   
     "That's weird, considering you didn't actually get in a fight yesterday."  _How the fuck do you pick up on this shit?!_ Dave forced a chuckled.  
     "Very perceptive."  
     "So what actually happened?" Karkat questioned and Dave laughed in disbelief.   
     "What makes you so worthy of the knowledge?" Karkat stared at his throat.   
     "You weren't choked-"  
     "Can you please stop?" Dave's voice cracked and Karkat dropped his gaze. Dave looked around the room, saw no one else was in there yet, and sighed in relief.   
     "I didn't mean to-"  
     "Don't bring it up again." Dave said and Karkat sighed.  
     "Okay. I... Brought the makeup if you want me to-"  
     "After school. Same place." Dave muttered and slid into his chair, turning his head to stare out the window. Karkat rolled his eyes, but sat down at his own desk and looked the other way. The class room began to fill in.

     Dave pulled his headphones down as Karkat wandered up to him. He glanced at the ground beside Dave and Dave nodded. Karkat sat down beside him and dug through his backpack. He pulled out a bag and handed it to Dave, who unzipped it and examined the contents inside.  
     "How did you manage to fuck up you skin tone this badly?" He asked and Karkat stared at him.  
     "I used to be paler." Dave eyed him.  
     "Unlikely. These are all new. You went out and bought these?" Karkat looked away as his face turned red.  
     "I-I just... My dad gave me some money and I didn't really need anything for myself..." Dave smiled slightly but it quickly disappeared as he pulled his phone from his pocket.  
     "Bro? Oh, yeah I-I was... It's only four. Can't I- Right... Tomorrow then? I-I'll be able to... No? Okay.... Bye." Dave hung up and pushed his phone back into his pocket, then sighed deeply.   
     "Did something happen?" Karkat asked and Dave's jaw tensed.  
     "No... He just... Wanted to tell me he was going to be gone tonight and probably tomorrow."  
     "Are you... Going to be okay?"  
     "Yeah, he does this all the time." Dave muttered and cursed himself silently.   
     "Did you guys have plans?"  
     "More or less." Dave shrugged and Karkat stared at him for a moment.  
     "Is he the one fighting you?" Dave flinched in shock and then shook his head way too aggressively.  
     "No! I- No, he doesn't... We- No." Dave laughed nervously and Karkat's eyes narrowed. "I should go home. Try-try to catch him before he leave."  
     "Dave, I-"  
     "Sorry, bro! Gotta go!" Dave said and ran from the field. Karkat bit his lip and looked down at his hands.  _ ****I need to help him._


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's rape in this chapter so like... Don't read if you aren't okay with that (it isn't like full on rape though? It's kind of just a blowjob but still! It isn't that consensual.) It's only a few sentences and I'll put little asterisks (*) before and after it so you can skip it if you want to.

     Dave wasn't at school the next day. He was gone Thursday as well. Karkat had started to worry. One: was Dave okay? Two: would they still be able to work on their project? Yes, Karkat could admit that the second reason seemed pretty petty, but the teacher had said that it would count for half of their grade that marking period.   
     Karkat opened his computer as soon as he got home and pulled up Trollian.

     -- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at 15:43 --

CG: DAVE  
CG: ARE YOU OKAY?  
CG: WHAT'S YOUR ADDRESS?  
CG: DAVE!  
TG: hey dude  
TG: im fine bro  
TG: dont worry  
CG: YOU HAVEN'T BEEN AT SCHOOL FOR THE PAST TWO DAYS!  
TG: im fine man  
TG: i live in that apartment complex area  
TG: room number 110  
TG: red door  
TG: ill see you in 2 hours

     -- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG] at 15: 54 --

     Karkat knocked on the door, only to find it was open.  _They must have been waiting for me._ He slipped inside and shut the door behind himself. He wandered down the dark apartment and saw a staircase, then slowly went up it. He came to a door that was slightly ajar and pushed it open slowly. He froze in place at the sight in the room. ** _*_**  Dave was kneeling at the foot of his bed, his brother sitting with his legs spread, hand grabbed the back of Dave's head. His brother looked up and smirked.  
     "Oh, is this your friend?" Dave jerked away from his brother and winced when his grip on his hair tightened. Karkat took a step back and his brother tsked.   
     "I'll go wait-"  
     "No. You'll stay there or Dave will get it worse." Karkat couldn't see Dave's eyes, but he could tell that he was trying to him to leave. But Karkat couldn't do that. His brother waited for a moment and then grinned, pushing Dave's head back down. He made a loud choking sound and Karkat bit down on his lip, trying not to scream as he watched Bro force Dave to swallow him whole.  
     It had only been 2 minutes, but it seemed like an eternity before Bro let out a groan and pushed Dave back. He stood up and tucked himself back into his pants, walking to the door and slipping through past Karkat.  ** _*_**  
     "Don't wear him out." Bro said and disappeared down the staircase. Karkat stood completely frozen for a few seconds before he snapped out of it and rushed to Dave's side.   
     "Fuck, are you..." He faded off as his eyes drifted down Dave's body, taking in the bruises and cuts and scars. Dave was shaking in fear, staring at the ground.  
     "P-Please... Shut the door..." Dave rasped and Karkat practically teleported to the door, shutting and locking it as quickly as he could and falling down on the floor beside Dave.   
     "Are you... Do you need anything?" Karkat asked, hands hovering over Dave's naked body awkwardly.   
     "Blanket..." Dave whispered and Karkat grabbed one for him, wrapping it around him and sitting back, waiting patiently for him to calm down, not aware of the red that covered his cheeks.   
     "Does he do this to you... Often?" Karkat forced out and Dave lifted his head up. He was still for a moment before he lowered his head again.  
     "Don't tell anybody."  
     "But he's-"  
     "You can't!" Dave shouted and then fell into a fit of coughing. "He-he'll make it worse." He croaked and Karkat stared at him sadly.  
     "How could it possibly get any worse?" He asked quietly and Dave pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders.   
     "Please." Dave whimpered and Karkat hesitated, then nodded slightly. "Can you get me some water?" Karkat looked back at the door cautiously and Dave shook his head. "My bathroom... There's a cup by the sink."  
     "God, please stop talking." Karkat hissed and Dave lowered his head. Karkat bit his lip regretfully, but slipped into the bathroom. He filled the cup as quickly as he could and carried it back to Dave, handing it to him and watching his throat as it worked to swallow the massive amount of water from the cup. Dave emptied the cup almost as soon as he got it and gave it back to Karkat, who set it on the desk.   
     He watched as Dave stood up awkwardly, winced slightly, and rubbed the back of his neck.  
     "Are you okay?" Karkat asked and Dave was still for a moment.   
     "I... Need to get dressed." Karkat nodded and started to walk to the bathroom, but hesitated to look back at Dave.  
     "Do you need help?" He whispered and Dave shook his head.  
     "He didn't... No." Karkat nodded and went into the bathroom, shut the door behind himself, and sighed. He glanced at the counter and realized it was covered in small pills. He stared at them for a moment. He recognized one of them as something to treat depression. He had used it before along with a few others before he found the one that worked for himself. The others... He couldn't place them. He quickly racked his brain for any information on the pills he had seen or used, but he was thrown of course when the door open.   
     Dave wasn't wearing what he usually did- graphic tees, long sleeve shirts, or, more commonly, 3/4 sleeves, which were usually paired with a pair of dark skinny jeans and red converse. Instead, he was wearing a baggy hoodie that had some kind of gear design on it and black flannel pants, which Karkat assumed were pajama pants. Of course, he was still wearing his shades. Dave looked down at the counter and sighed.  
^     "The white one's are for depression, the pink help me fall and stay asleep, the red one helps with nightmares and PTSD, and the green helps with anxiety." He looked at Karkat. "Anything else?"  
     "Why do you take all of these?"  
     "Because I'm depressed, I can't sleep, I have nightmares, and anxiety." Dave answered and Karkat scowled.  
     "You know what I meant."   
     "Like hell I'm telling you why." Dave snapped and then turned away. "Let's just... Work on the project. I really don't want to talk about any of this." Karkat reluctantly let it drop and followed Dave back to his room. He gave Dave his notes on everything that he had researched so far and then sighed.   
     "Just one question." Dave didn't object, so Karkat continued. "Does anyone know?"  
     "Aside from you, no, and nobody else ever will." Karkat rolled his eyes.   
     "Why do you think I would tell anyone?"  
     "Why wouldn't you? You hate me, after all." Dave challenged and Karkat glared at him.  
     "No I don't, dipshit, and even if I did, I have no right to go spilling someone else's secrets." The corner of Dave's lips twitched down into a frown. "I..." Karkat huffed and looked up at the ceiling. "Look, I hide things too. I guess they aren't as major as any of this," Karkat waved his hands around the room and at Dave, pointing out what 'any of this' happened to be. "But I still... You know what? Let's just work on the project."  
     "Splendid idea, Vantas." Dave said and turned back to his computer, going back to work as fast as he could.

     Three hours later, they had finally finished. Dave sighed loudly as he watched the email send to the professor, then turned to Karkat.  
     "I guess it's time for you to leave now." Karkat's eyes involuntarily flickered to the door and Dave bit his lip. "He'll be sleeping soon enough. I've had to deal with worse, anyways. Just... Don't talk about this with anyone. None of it. Not my pills, not my shitty apartment, not my Bro. You can't." Karkat hesitated slightly before he finally nodded.  
     "Will you be at school tomorrow?"  
     "Why, are you worried?" Dave smirked. Karkat stared at him in disbelief an he shrugged it off. "Yeah, I should be. Now if you don't mind, I have some sleep I need to catch up on. You know where the door is." Karkat sighed and stepped into the hall. "Oh, and try not to bother Bro too much on your way out." Dave added, before he slammed the door shut. Karkat heard a soft click as the door locked and sighed, then quickly left the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ^ I have no idea what pill he could actually use, and this is probably pretty wrong.
> 
>  
> 
> Sorry for the shitty ending.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of updates. My Wifi was not working and I wasn't even able to get this chapter so I could work on it while it was down. 
> 
> Also, sorry if there are some typing and spelling mistakes. I've fallen into another bout of depression so this isn't my best work, but I still want to write for you.

     "You finally decided to show up again?" John teased as Dave strode into the classroom, which was, to his dismay, not empty. John was sitting on the top of the desk where Karkat was seated, and two other people were standing beside them, one of them leaning obnoxiously on Karkat, who didn't seem to mind. In fact, he seemed to be enjoy the neck kisses. Who the hell is that and what are the doing to Karkat? Dave though, then, once he realized he was being possessive of Karkat- of all people- sighed.  
     "I had a fever and a sore throat. Bro didn't want to risk me getting any sicker by going to school." Dave ignored the look Karkat threw him, instead focusing on John's frown.  
     "Aw, I'm sorry you were sick. You still sound kind of bad, though." Dave shrugged.  
     "I couldn't miss school forever. Besides, who else is going to keep the kids inspired to be cool if I'm gone?" John rolled his eyes, but was smiling warmly.   
     "Whatever... Oh! This is Gamzee," Dave nodded, finally able to place a name on the face. "And this is Sollux. They were supposed to be in here at the beginning of the year, but the school messed up the scheduling. But, two kids transferred schools yesterday, so they moved up!" Dave nodded, waved at Gamzee, and then directed his attention to Sollux.  
     "So... Are you and Karkat dating?" Sollux looked up at him.  
     "Um... No?"  
     "Fucking?" Dave asked and Sollux glanced up at Karkat.  
     "It'th your turn to explain, KK?" Sollux lisped and Karkat groaned.   
     "There's nothing to explain!"  
     "Fine." Sollux stood up, reaching down ruffled Karkat's red hair before he fixed his own. "We're jutht friendth."  
     "So you were platonically macking on his neck just now?" Karkat's face had gone completely red, but Sollux just seemed amused.   
     "Yep." Dave laughed.  
     "I didn't think he would ever let anyone touch him, let alone kiss him." Dave said and Karkat growled.  
     "Dave!" Karkat yelled and Dave shrugged.   
     "Well, we've been best friends since we were kids. I can pretty much get away with anything." Karkat had dropped his head on the desk and covered the back of his head with his arms. Gamzee was patting him on the back.   
     "Would you say that you guys are platonic soulmates?" Dave asked and Sollux looked down at Karkat, then nodded.   
     "Pretty much." Dave grinned.  
     "Sweet. I didn't actually know Karkat had any friends."  
     "Speak for yourself, dumbass." Karkat grumbled and Dave scoffed.  
     "See what I mean? Impossible to talk to." Sollux nodded in response, then sighed and reached into his pocket. "Boyfriend texting you?" Dave asked and Sollux rolled his eyes.  
     "He wishes." He muttered, but proceeded to flop down onto a chair and text his suitor back. Dave looked at John, who shrugged helplessly, and then at Gamzee, who looked stoned out of his mind. He looked around the room, realized no one else was there, and turned to John.  
     "Why is no one else here yet?"  
     "There was like a field trip for seniors, and this is a senior class, so naturally they aren't here." Sollux mumbled and Dave sighed.  
     "All of my classes are with seniors. Why did I even show up today?" Dave muttered and Karkat sat up.   
     "We have the same classes. Want to skip with me?" Dave saw a twitch on the corner of Sollux's lips and brushed it off.   
     "I don't think it would really be called skipping, but sure."   
     "Aw, lucky." John whined and watched as Dave and Karkat left the classroom, waving goodbye to Gamzee and John. Sollux wasn't paying attention.  
     "So, Sollux has a boyfriend?" Dave asked and Karkat shrugged.  
     "Who the fuck even knows at this point? They hate each other. I literally saw them go from strangling one another to making out and I don't know which one is more disturbing." Dave shrugged slightly. "I- Fuck, I'm sorry."  
     "You didn't do anything, bro." Dave mumbled and then sighed. He leaned his head back so it rested on the trunk of the tree and he stared up at the sky through his shades.   
     "You um... Clean up nicely." Dave smirked and turned his head to face Karkat.  
     "Years of experience, I guess." Karkat bit his lip.   
     "Do you need help?" Dave stared at him for a moment and then laughed.  
     "Nah, bro. I'm fine." Karkat gave him a doubtful look and Dave rolled his eyes. "Seriously. It's not even that bad." Karkat opened his mouth to snap back but Dave turned his head away.   
     "Fine." Karkat grumbled and they sat in silence for a moment. "I know you probably don't want to go home so... Do you want to go eat somewhere?" Dave nodded.   
     "Yeah, I'm pretty fucking hungry." Dave pushed himself up and glanced down at Karkat. "Where do you want to go?"  
     "McDonalds. Shit, do you have money?"  
     "Yeah, i always have some." Dave muttered and Karkat groaned.  
     "I'll stop by my house and get some. I don't want you to have to pay."  
     "Dude, it's fine. I need to get food in me right now, though. I'm literally starving." Karkat sighed.  
     "I'll pay you back." Dave stared at him for a moment and then forced a chuckle.  
     "You don't have to do that." Karkat shrugged.  
     "If you don't want me to give you money back at least let me do something for you." Dave arched an eyebrow and Karkat sputter. "Fuck you! You know what I meant! Ugh... Just like, come over to my house when we're done? We can play video games or something." Dave smiled slightly.  
     "Thanks man. You aren't doing this just to hang out with me, though, right?"  
     "Oh, god no." Karkat laughed and Dave forced his grin not to grow. "Why would I do that?"  
     "Man, some people really enjoy my company."   
     "Yeah, like who? Egbert? He doesn't count, he likes everyone." Karkat grumbled and Dave chuckled.   
     "He may be annoying but he is a pretty good guy." Karkat stared at Dave for a moment and then looked down at his feet. "Rose likes me. Her girlfriend's pretty chill with me."   
     "Kanaya?"  
     "You know her?" Dave asked and Karkat snorted.  
     "She's practically my mom. She talks about Rose all the time. Something about a drinking problem." Dave shrugged.   
     "None of us are perfect. She's working on it. Now let's go grab some grub before I die of starvation."  
     Karkat watched as Dave scarfed down four cheeseburgers, his face a mix of disgust and awe. Dave leaned back and belched loudly, smirking as Karkat scowled.  
     "That's the worst thing I have ever experienced."   
     "You suggested that we eat." Dave pointed out and Karkat stared at him.  
     "I didn't think you would be this disgusting." Dave shrugged.  
     “Now you know. You probably don’t want me to come over anymore.”  
     “Of course I still want you to come over. You just won’t eat while you’re over.” Dave raised an eyebrow.  
     “Just… Don’t eat around me.”  
     “I’ll eat in the bathroom.”  
     “Fuck no.” Karkat said immediately and Dave chuckled.  
     “I’m just kidding, bro. I won’t eat. Bro will get upset if I don’t eat dinner.” Karkat looked down at his hands. “Dude, stop.”  
     "Stop what? I didn't do anything!"  
     "You- Whatever. Can we just go to your house now?" Dave asked and Karkat nodded.  
     "Yeah..."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um... Yikes. This is moving very fast... Sorry about that bros.
> 
>  
> 
> Self Harm mention

     Dave spun in a slow circle, examining the inside of the house. He stopped and looked down at Karkat.  
     "Nice place you got."  
     "It's better than yours."  
     "Obviously, I live in a rotting apartment building. And I was being serious. It's pretty fucking cool." Karkat shrugged and glanced around.  
     "I don't think my dad will be home for a while... Do you want anything to drink?"  
     "Got any apple juice?" Karkat stared at him for a moment and then nodded.  
     "Yeah, I think so... My brother might have had some though."  
     "You have a brother?" Dave asked and Karkat hummed softly.   
     "Kind of. He's my foster brother, but he is actually related to me?" Dave laughed.  
     "That's sick." Karkat nodded and pulled the fridge open.   
     "He get's kind of yelly about things, so try not to say anything... Offensive?" Karkat muttered and Dave smirked.  
     "As yelly as you?"  
     "Shut up! This is my normal volume, and it's kind of more of a rant. He never stops talking either."  
     "Like you." Dave said and Karkat glowered at him. "I'm not wrong, am I?" Karkat looked up at the stairs and sighed.   
     "I guess you'll find out."

     Dave looked over at Karkat, who glared back at him. Karkat's brother, Kankri, had been talking for more than an hour, no breaks, and no end in sight. Especially since Dave had something about child abuse and Kankri had felt the need to go on about how it could "trigger" someone.   
     "In fact, you merely mentioning child abuse could trigger someone, and it offends me that you would even say that without a warning. Someone here could have been abused by an adult in their life and you could have upset them without them even knowing. Therefore, I feel I must-"  
     "Um, excuse me." Kankri sighed and looked down at Dave. "The amount of words coming out of your mouth really offends me." Kankri started at Dave for a moment, mouth opening and closing. Dave looked over at Karkat, who was biting down on his lip to keep from laughing. "Where's your room?" Karkat practically ran up the stairs. 

     "God, that was so amazing." Karkat said as soon as the door was shut and locked behind them.   
     "Thank you, I know I'm amazing." Karkat rolled his eyes.  
     "You just wanted to shut him up." Dave stared at Karkat for a moment before he shrugged and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Why do you wear sunglasses all the time? You can't black eyes all the time."  
     "Eye color." Dave grumbled and Karkat stared at him for a moment. "Are you expecting me to tell you?" Karkat's cheeks turned red and he looked away.  
     "Sorry." Dave shrugged again. "Do you want to play a game? Mario Cart or something?"  
     "Yeah man. I gotta warn you, though, I'm pretty fucking good."  
     "We'll see about that." 

     Dave layed on his back, controller carelessly tossed somewhere in the room. Karkat had left to take a shower a while ago and let Dave race against CPU's and try to beat his high score. Dave did, of course, but only by a few points. Not that it was that big of a deal. It had taken him a few tries to beat it.   
     "Dave!" Dave glanced up at Karkat's muffled voice, looked around the room, and sighed. He rolled off the bed, wandered to the bathroom door, and pushed it open.   
     "Need some help showering?" Dave asked, eyes skimming over the counter, slowing as he spotted a small stain of blood.   
     "No! I just forgot to grab a towel..." Dave sighed deeply. "They're in the cabinet above the toilet." Dave opened the cabinet and cleared his throat.  
     "I'm assuming you don't want a white one?" Karkat was quiet for a moment, before he sniffled quietly.  
     "It's fine..." Dave tossed a towel over the curtain rod. "Thanks..." Karkat muttered and Dave nodded, then went back to Karkat's room and sat on the edge of the bed.  
     Karkat came into his room a few minutes later, eyes glued to the floor. He was wearing a black sweater and a pair of black shorts that ended at his knees. He stood in front of Dave, awkwardly tugging at his sleeves.   
     "Do you want to... Stay the night?" He mumbled and Dave bit his lip.  
     "I... Need to ask my bro." Karkat nodded. "Is there... A reason?"   
     "It's supposed to storm tonight..." Karkat whispered and Dave nodded, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He dialed Bro's number quickly and held it up to his ear, waiting as it rang loudly. Karkat watched anxiously as Dave paced the room. He finally stopped a few seconds later, choosing to lean against the wall beside the window.   
     "Hey... Yeah, um Karkat wanted to know if I could- Oh, um... No, we won't- Yeah, his brother's cool with it." Dave glanced at Karkat, who nodded slightly. "Yeah. I-I won't, don't... Thank you. Yeah, I um... Yeah." He hung up and smiled at Karkat. "He said it was okay."  
     "Is he going to make you-"  
     "Karkat." Dave said warningly and Karkat let out an annoyed puff of air. "It doesn't matter. I want to make sure your okay." They stood in silence for a while, Karkat looking down at the floor and Dave watching him.  
     "I haven't cleaned the sink in a while." Karkat said suddenly and looked up at Dave. "I-I assumed you had seen the blood and- it was a while ago, um... Last time." Dave's eyes flickered down to Karkat's wrists.   
     "You moved here a few weeks ago." Dave pointed out.  
     "Our first day here... I was upset and... I haven't done it since..." Karkat looked at Dave for a moment, sighed, then tugged his sweater off. Dave moved toward him and gingerly lifted his arm, examining the scars on his wrist.   
     "What happened?"  
     "Kankri was just being too unbearable and everything was so stressful..." Karkat bit his lip as Dave ran a finger tip over the scars.   
     "I assume you want to sleep in the same bed?"   
     "If it's okay with you." Karkat stammered and Dave chuckled softly.  
     "Of course it is. I've gotta warn you, though, I get pretty clingy when I sleep." Karkat's lips quirked up into a  smile before he quickly flattened it.   
     "I do, too..." They stood in awkward silence for a few minutes before Dave cleared his throat.   
     "It's getting late, should we..."  
     "Yes."


	7. Chapter 7

     Dave woke up to find Karkat wrapped around his torso, shivering slightly. Dave decided to go back to sleep.

     Karkat sat down at the table, avoiding Kankri's gaze. Dave had still been sleeping when Karkat woke up, so he had carefully untangled himself and went downstairs for breakfast.   
     "Did you and Dave-"  
     "Kankri." Karkat growled.  
     "It;s just that you talk about him all the time, so I assume you would-"  
     "You talk about me?" Dave yawned from the stair well and Karkat prickled.   
     "Yeah, about what a fucking prick you are." Kankri opened his mouth to start lecturing but Dave raised his hand.   
     "As much as I would appreciate a repeat of yesterday, I can't deal with that in the morning. Unless you want to rant about how I shouldn't joke about child abuse, since I obviously have no idea what it's liked to be abused." Kankri stared at him for a moment, then looked at Karkat.   
     "Has he been abused?"  
     "I'm right here!" Dave exclaimed, but Kankri proceeded to ignore him. Karkat shook his head.  
     "No, he just likes to be dramatic about everything." Karkat ignored Dave's small exhale of air and the way he visibly relaxed. "I told him he shouldn't joke about serious issues, and he said he would stop." Dave cleared his throat softly and Karkat looked up at him.  
     "Where are your cups? I need something to wash these down." He showed Karkat his handful of pills and Karkat nodded to one of the cabinets. Kankri watched Dave curiously as he grabbed a cup, filled it with water, and swallowed all the pills.   
     "You shouldn't take medicine you don't need." Kankri muttered as Dave set the cup down. He turned to Kankri.   
     "I'm tired of all of your assuming." He growled and Kankri's eyes scanned over him quickly.  
     "Okay. You shouldn't need all of those. How old are you?" Dave rolled his eyes and moved towards the staircase.  
     "I'm going to go back up to your room." Karkat sighed, glared at Kankri, and followed Dave up the stairs.

     "How did he react when he found out you cut?" Dave asked and Karkat looked over at him.  
     "He didn't."  
     "How do you think he would react?" Karkat shrugged.  
     "Probably rant at me about how dangerous it is and how I had no right to harm myself like that." Dave gave Karkat a doubtful glance, but quickly looked back at the T.V. "When um... When did your brother start..."  
     "Is this honesty hour or some shit?"  
     "I answered you, Strider, the least you could do is-"  
     "Okay." Dave interrupted and then sighed deeply. "It was my sixth birthday. I didn't realize what was actually happening until I was nine or ten, though, when I heard someone joke about it at school." Karkat had gone silent, his knuckles white around his controller. Dave turned off the T.V, sat up, and stared down at Karkat.  
     "Dave..."  
     "I don't need your pity, Vantas. If it was that bad, I would report it." Karkat looked up at Dave, his eyes wide.  
     "Ten years." Karkat whispered and Dave shrugged. Dave, you... You should at least tell someone."  
     "I told _you_." Dave pointed out and Karkat scowled at him.  
     "You know what I mean." Dave stared at him. "Fucking- Someone who can help you! At least help you deal with it!"   
     "I think I'm okay. If anyone needs help dealing, it's you." Karkat jumped up, throwing his controller across the room in the process.   
     "This is a serious fucking issue, Dave! You shouldn't just fucking let him do that to you!" Karkat slammed his hand against the wall, causing Dave to flinch. "You can't... Let people do that to you..." Karkat's voice wavered and his nails fug into his palm.   
     "Karkat, I-"  
     "Just _tell_ someone." Karkat whimpered and Dave sat quietly, watching as Karkat's shoulder shook. Karkat stood up a few minutes later, took a deep breath, and turned to Dave. "Kanaya... She um... She helps me with my depression and stuff... You could try..." Dave gazed at Karkat for a moment and then sighed.  
     "I'll go see Rose sometime. Kanaya will probably be there."   
     "We can go now." Karkat suggested and then cleared his throat awkwardly. "Unless you have to be home."  
     "He said I could hang out all weekend." Dave said and then looked down at his hands. "I'll leave whenever you want me to."  
     "Stay. You- only go back when you need to." Dave smiled slightly, nodded, and stood up. Karkat led the way downstairs and to the door. Kankri glanced up from his laptop, but made no move to stop them. They stepped outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm bad at writing. Sorry.


	8. Chapter 8

     Kanaya waited for an hour before Dave finally started talking. She listened when he tried to tell her without saying the words. She listened when he was finally able to say what was happening. She waited for him to gather himself when he started crying. She listened when he broke. When the crack that had been so carefully covered finally gave way, allowing all the contents of the fragile vase to spill freely. She listened until he had been drained. Until all he could do was sit, quietly wiping the tears from his eyes.   
     "Thank you for telling me." She finally said. Dave stared at her in confusion. "I know it must have taken a lot of trust to share this with someone. I assume Karkat suggested that you come to me. I don't really understand why you would tell him first, but I do think he had the right idea of you needing to tell someone. It does seem like you've been through quite a lot, especially for someone as young as you are." Dave raised his head and looked up at Kanaya.   
     "You're three years older than me." She grinned.  
     "There's the Dave Rose has told me so much about." Dave smiled slightly. Kanaya looked down at her phone. "I will be here if you ever need to talk about anything, but Rose just texted me from a bar-"  
     "Go ahead." Dave said and Kanaya thanked him as she fled from the room. Dave pulled his shades off, set them on the table, and leaned back, rubbing his eyes gently.   
     "Dave?" Karkat asked from the doorway. Dave froze, hands glued to his eyes. "I- Sorry. I'm not looking, you can..."  
     "I... It's fine." Dave muttered and slowly pulled his hands down, folding his hands in his lap, keeping his gaze on his shades.   
     "You don't have to do that, Dave."  
     "What happened to pretending I didn't have a first name?" Dave asked and Karkat rolled his eyes.   
     "Shut up, Strider. You've been doing the same thing." Dave looked up at Karkat, who immediately looked away.  
     "You were so curious about my eye color. What happened, Vantas?" Dave asked as he grabbed his shades and slipped them back onto his face.   
     "I saw Rose's eyes and figured it would just be some rare color like hers. Nothing that important." Dave shrugged.   
     "Whatever. Should we head back to your house and continue our game of Mario Kart? You might be able to beat me." Karkat looked down, hiding his smile from Dave.  
     "You're on, Strider."

     Dave set his controller down and reached over, setting his hand on top of Karkat's. Karkat looked up at Dave in confusion.  
     "Keep your eyes on the game." Karkat reluctantly looked back at the T.V, biting his lip as Dave's hands covered his own. "You aren't using the right technique. You have to try to stay in third place until the end. First and second place get spammed with shells and shit like that. You want to stay away from that until you're almost at the finish line, then you..." Dave shot past Bowser and Mario. They watched as Karkat was bumped up to second place. "Think you can do it on you own?" Dave asked as he turned to face Karkat.  
     Karkat gazed at him, eyes dark, lips parted slightly. His eyes flickered down to Dave's lips, then up to his eyes. Dave leaned towards him so their noses bumped then tilted his head, brushing his lips against Karkat's jaw. Karkat's eyes slipped shut and he whimpered quietly. Dave started to move his hand to Karkat's cheek but pulled away suddenly, turning back to the T.V. The door opened and Karkat froze.  
     "Dave, I just got a call from Kanaya. Your brother is drinking very heavily at a bar and-"  
     "He does this a lot." Dave grumbled and Kankri pursed his lips.   
     "He's driving home." Dave shrugged.  
     "He does that all the time. He should be fine." Kankri stared at Dave, rolled his eyes, and left the room.   
     "How... How did you know he was..." Karkat stammered and Dave shrugged.   
     "My hearing is great. One more round?"  
     "Your brother-"  
     "I can check on him later. One more race." Karkat nodded reluctantly. They started the next race.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, comments are my favorite form of story interaction. I love reading y'all's comments, and I do try to respond to them, but sometimes I don't know how. I just really enjoy it when you guys leave your thoughts on the chapter or the story so far. (I mean, if you have anything to point out like an error or something I would love it if you did that.)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING
> 
> There's some violence and a lot of drug/alcohol abuse in this, so just a warning if you aren't okay with that... Also death.

     Dave pushed the door to his apartment open, wincing as the smell of beer flooded his nose. He held his hand up against his nose and walked through the house, looking for any visual traces of his brother. The only thing he saw were bottles and cans. And clothing. Dave sighed and made his way to the staircase, ignoring the loud creaking as he slowly climbed.   
     Dave's eyes widened as he stepped into his bathroom. Bro was draped over the edge of the bathtub, hand clasped loosely around the neck of a beer bottle. Empty pill bottles were thrown around the room, spare pills scattered around the floor and tub. Dave bit his lip and moved forward. He bent down and reached out, pressing his fingers to Bro's neck. Nothing. Dave bit down harder.  
     "B-Bro?" No response. No movement. Dave moved closer. He put his finger below Bro's nose. Warmth. Dave felt relief wash over his body. "Bro, I... Please get up." Dave leaned down. He didn't have time to pull away when Bro turned and grabbed his neck. He slammed him against the wall and pushed himself up. His bloodshot eyes drove daggers through Dave and brought on a wave of nausea and panic. Bro reached up and ripped Dave's shades off.   
     "Your eyes have always been so-" Bro's grip on Dave's throat tightened and he keeled over. He sputtered loudly and brought his hand down to his stomach, holding it tightly as he groaned quietly. Dave watched in horror as he coughed violently, spattering the white tile with red.   
     "Bro." Dave choked and moved toward him, hand hovering over his bare back. "Y-You can't..." He pulled his hand away as Bro slumped against the wall, staring at Dave with glassy eyes. The corner of his lip twitched up into a smile before he was sent into another fit of coughing. Dave jumped up and fled from the room, ignoring the black spots that danced across the room. He grabbed the phone off the counter and dialed quickly.   
     "Your phone is out-"  
     "Fuck!" Dave sobbed and threw the phone to the ground. He stumbled back up the stairs and towards Bro. Bro lifted an arm and Dave crawled under it, pressing himself against his brother.   
     "I'm sorry..." Bro rasped and Dave shook his head. He didn't know what he was apologizing for. Nothing. Everything. Dave didn't care. He didn't want to lose his brother. 

     It took 3 hours for the police to show up. His heart had stopped beating within 5 minutes of Dave's attempt at a call. His body had started losing heat an hour later. It took 4 mean to pry Dave off of his body, 2 more to hold him back while the took his body away, and 1 more to keep him inside as the car sped away. Dave locked himself in his room as soon as the car was out of sight.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the chat logs are hard to keep up with. I switched between trolling and pestering based on who's computer it was being viewed on (Karkat's would say trolling, Dave and John's would say pestering)

_*One day after Bro's death*_

 

 

     -- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling ectoBiologist [EB] at 17:23 --

CG: HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO DAVE RECENTLY?  
EB: No, have you?  
CG: I TRIED BUT HE ISN'T ANSWERING ME.  
EB: I'll try but I have to do homework :(  
CG: OKAY.

     -- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling ectoBiologist [EB] at 17:25 --

 

     -- ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] at 21:14 --

EB: He isn't even online.  
CG: I KNOW.  
CG: HE HASN'T BEEN ACTIVE SINCE HE WENT HOME YESTERDAY.  
EB: Were you guys hanging out?  
CG: YEAH.  
CG: I THINK HE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT HIS BROTHER.  
EB: Could he have gotten sick again?  
EB: He seems to be getting sick lately.  
CG: HE WOULD STILL BE ONLINE.  
CG: BUT YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE.  
CG: I'LL GO CHECK ON HIM IF HE ISN'T AT SCHOOL TOMORROW.

     -- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 21:20 --

 

_*Two days after Bro's death*_

 

\-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling ectoBiologist [EB] at 19: 52 --

CG: HE DIDN'T ANSWER THE DOOR.  
CG: NEITHER DID HIS BROTHER.  
CG: THE KITCHEN LOOKED LIKE IT HAD BEEN DESTROYED.   
EB: Fuck.  
EB: Could something have happened to them?  
CG: I DON'T KNOW.  
CG: DO THEY GO OUT FOR TRIPS OFTEN?  
EB: No :/  
CG: FUCK.  
CG: I'M GOING TO TRY TO GET INTO CONTACT WITH HIM.  
EB: Tell me if he responds.

     -- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling ectoBiologist [EB] at 19:59 --

 

     -- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at 20:00 --

CG: DAVE.  
CG: ARE YOU OKAY?  
CG: DID YOUR BRO HURT YOU AGAIN?  
CG: CAN I DO ANYTHING TO HELP?  
TG: oj hwy bri  
CG: DAVE?  
TG: im fonr  
TG: cem ypu beinf mw sdhool werl  
CG: WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?  
CG: WHY ARE YOU TYPING LIKE THAT?  
TG: i womnt be at schppl fpr a wholr  
CG: DAVE!  
CG: WHAT'S WRONG?  
CG: FUCK.  
CG: DON'T DO ANYTHING I WOULD DO.

     -- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling turntechGodhead [TG] at 20:11 --

 

     -- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling ectoBiologist [EB] at 20:12 --

CG: I THINK HE'S DRUNK.  
EB: Is he typing weird?  
CG: LIKE ROSE WHEN SHE GETS DRUNK.  
EB: Okay.  
EB: Can you go over and check on him?  
CG: I THINK HE WOULD HATE ME FOR THAT.   
CG: IT'S PROBABLY BEST TO TRY AND GET KANAYA AND ROSE TO TALK TO HIM FOR A WHILE AND SEE IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM.  
EB: That makes sense.  
EB: I'll ask Rose if she can try and help.

     -- ectoBiologist [EB] ceased trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG] at 20:21 --

 

_*Four days after Bro's death*_

 

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] at 23:12 --

TG: kakte  
TG: pleadse come helrep met  
TG: pelade  
CG: I'M ON MY WAY.

     -- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 23:14 --

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to get the next chapter up by tomorrow but I don't know how long it will be and there is the possibility I will be busy but I promise I will try my hardest.


	11. Chapter 11

     Karkat pounded on the door. No answer. He twisted the door knob. Unlocked. He swore quietly as he stepped into the dark house. He shut the door behind himself, making sure it was locked before he walked through the apartment, careful not to step on any bottles or trash. He climbed the rickety stairs and walked down the hall to Dave's room, stopping to glance at the bathroom.   
     Beer bottles and pill cases were thrown around the room. Various pills covered parts of the counter and floor, along with dried blood. Dave's shades were in the middle of the floor, one of the lenses shattered, the other cracked. He pulled the door shut quickly and turned away, taking a deep breath before slipping into Dave's room.  
     Broken bottles lined the edge of his room, the wall above them dented. His desk chair had been knocked onto its side, one of the legs broken off. His mattress had half fallen off the bed, the blankets throw to the other side of the room. His small bookshelf had been knocked over and the books were scattered across the room, pages torn out from the binding. Dave sat in the middle of the wreckage.  
     His hair was tangled, his bare skin covered in dried blood and dirt. His head was bent down, shoulders and spine visible from his skin. Karkat bit his lip. He didn't think Dave would have been so thin. He stepped forward, dropping down beside Dave and setting a hand on his shoulder.   
     "Dave..." Dave glanced up at Karkat but quickly tore his eyes away. "What happened? Where-where's your brother?" Dave sniffled quietly and reached up, rubbing the back of his wrist against his nose. He shook his head slightly and Karkat sighed. Dave's stomach howled loudly. "When was the last time you ate? Or showered?" Dave shrugged. Karkat bit down on his lip and stood up. He helped Dave up and started to lead the way to the bathroom, then looked down at his hands.   
     "Dave, will you-" Karkat cut off as Dave fell to the floor. "Fuck!" Karkat looked around the room, grabbed the bed sheet, and wrapped Dave quickly. He ran home as fast as could.

     Karkat watched Dave as he tested the water temperature with his hand. Dave was staring down at the floor, holding the sheet tightly.   
     "Can you shower or..." Dave turned his head from Karkat. "Do you want me to help you?" Dave bit his lip and nodded slightly. Karkat stripped down awkwardly and pulled Dave's blanket off. "It's been four days since anyone has seen you." Dave shrugged and Karkat helped him into the shower. In any other situation, Karkat would have turned on at the very thought of getting into a shower with Dave, but right now... All he wanted to do was look away and sob. Dave stared down at their feet.   
     Karkat washed Dave with a gentle fierceness. Getting four- hell, probably five or six- days worth of grime and blood off of someone took a lot of work, especially when you wanted to be as gentle as possible.   
     After about an hour, Karkat decided Dave was clean enough and turned the water off. He dried Dave off as much as he could and led him to his bedroom.  
     "Dave, do you want to sleep or eat?" Dave immediately collapsed on the bed, wrapping the duvet around himself. Karkat bit his lip and dressed quickly, turned the light off, and went downstairs.   
     Kankri was standing in the middle of the kitchen, one hand holding a phone to his ear, the other subconsciously picking at his sweater. He saw Karkat and motioned for him to sit down at the table. Karkat would have brushed him off, but his brother's, who usually didn't experience much emotion, looked worried to the point of sickness.   
     "He's sleeping right now, officer." Karkat froze. Had Dave done something? Had his brother done something? "No, I-I think it would be best if he heard it from- Okay. I'm sorry, sir. Have a good night." Kankri waited for a moment before he set his phone down on the counter and lifted his hand to his face. He covered the lower half of his face for a moment, took a deep breath in, and exhaled while he slid his hand down and let it drop to his side.  
     "Kankri, what happened?"  
     "Dave's brother... I'll talk to you boys tomorrow morning."  
     "But Kankri-"  
     "Go to bed." Kankri said wearily. Karkat reluctantly made his way to his room. He slid under the duvet beside Dave, letting Dave hold onto him as he fell into a restless sleep.

     Karkat gave Dave a pair of fleece pajama pants and led him downstairs. Kankri was seated at the kitchen table, a mug of coffee held in his hands. He looked up and nodded at the chairs in front of him. Dave and Karkat sat. Kankri turned his phone on, dialed a number, and set it face up on the table, speaker on.  
     "This is Officer Daniels. Is Dave Strider there?" Kankri and Karkat waited a moment for Dave to respond. When they realized he wasn't going to, Karkat cleared his throat.  
     "Yeah, he's here."   
     "I would just like to apologize for your loss." Dave flinched. Karkat's eyes widened. "I understand going through something like this can be hard. We have an estimate of his time of death and have confirmed his cause of death. If you would like to know..." Dave nodded.  
     "Yes, sir." Karkat croaked.   
     "From what we have gathered, something was slipped into one of his drinks. It normally would not affect someone like it did but... It seems to have reacted badly with some medication he took. The reaction um... Caused a rupture in his stomach and some of the surrounding organs were affected... If it isn't too much to ask, we would like to know what his last words were? For his death certificate."  
     "Everything." Dave whispered and the officer was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry for everything." Dave's voice shook. Karkat's nails dug into his hand.   
     "Thank you. If you need any help getting through this, we have grief counselors-" Dave hung up. Kankri looked like he wanted to chide Dave on how rude it was to hang up on an officer, but instead he stood up.  
     "There are left overs in the fridge. I need to go speak to some of my acquaintances. I... I am sorry for your loss." Dave continued to stare at the table. Kankri turned and left the house. Karkat bit his lip.  
     "Dave, do you want me to make you something?" Dave shrugged. "What do you want?" Another shrug. Karkat moved and walked to the fridge. He pulled out an apple juice box, pushed the straw in, and offered it to Dave. Dave took it and tentatively sucked on the straw. Karkat started looking through the fridge for something to make Dave when there was a loud pounding at the door. Karkat sighed and shuffled to the door, then pulled it open.   
     Rose stumbled into the house. Kanaya stood behind her awkwardly. Rose located Dave and sobbed loudly. "Dave, I'm so sorry!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to assure you guys that I do read all of your comments (and enjoy every single one) but I don't always respond. I can if you guys want me to, but I don't usually know what to say and I don't really want to reply if you guys don't want to. 
> 
> If you have a question, though, I will definitely answer it!


	12. Chapter 12

_Rose stumbled into the house. Kanaya stood behind her awkwardly. Rose located Dave and sobbed loudly. "Dave, I'm so sorry!"_ Dave stared at Rose in response. "I-I didn't mean to-" She dropped her head into hands and wailed loudly. Kanaya rested her hand on Rose's shoulder and led her to the couch. She layed her down on her side and kissed her forehead, then walked over to the table and sat across from Dave.  
     "We're sorry about your loss." Kanaya started and Dave lowered his gaze to the table. "Rose and I were at the bar where your brother was the other night. We... I thought it would be a good idea... I had this drug. I-I've used it before. It was just supposed to knock him out for a while. I had told Rose what your brother had been doing... She suggested that we slip it into his drink and give you a day or two on your own. It wasn't supposed to... It shouldn't have killed him." Dave examined the table.   
     "You killed him?" It took everyone a moment to realize Dave had finally spoken.   
     "We didn't mean-" Kanaya started but stopped when she saw Dave's mouth twitch.   
     "I-I haven't been abused in five days. I... Keep expecting him to not be dead and-" Dave looked down at his hands, where his hands were clasped nervously. "Please don't tell anyone." Kanaya and Karkat glanced at each other, then nodded. Karkat opened his mouth to say something but Kanaya shook her head.  
     "Do you want us to leave?" She asked and Dave bit his lip. "It's okay Dave. We'll leave you alone until you're feeling better." She stood up, grabbed Rose, and walked back over to Dave. She smiled warmly at him and touched his shoulder. They left the house.   
     "What... What do you want to eat?" Dave looked up at Karkat, who looked away. "I'm sorry, it's just... Your eyes are... I don't want to look at them like this." Dave smiled slightly and lowered his head.  
     "Thanks..."   
     "If you want to go up to my room, I'll bring food up for you. Are pancakes okay?" Dave nodded, and quickly slipped from the room.

     Karkat glanced up as the door to his room opened. Kankri looked around the room, spotted Dave's syrupy plate on the floor, and sighed. He walked over and handed Karkat a pair of shades identical to Dave's old ones, grabbed the plate, and slipped from the room. Karkat set the shades on Dave's lap.   
     "You told your brother to get me shades?" Dave asked and Karkat shrugged.  
     "You seemed uncomfortable without them." Dave smiled as he pushed them on, then looked up at Karkat.  
     "I... Thank you."   
     "Are you... Are you sad he died?" Dave stared down at his hands and shrugged slightly.   
     "He apologized."  
     "That doesn't mean-"  
     "I know. I know, but... He wouldn't apologize if he didn't mean it. I dunno... I get that he abused me but... He was my brother. I'm not used to him not being here... Even though he did bad things he still cared about me. He still took care of me and-and he protected me. And he usually only hit me when I misbehaved or when he was really drunk." Dave stammered. Karkat gazed at him sadly.  
     "That doesn't justify what he did. Dave, he raped you." Dave's cheeks flushed red and he bit his lip.  
     "I-I never really told him not to. I... Kind of... Enjoyed it sometimes." Karkat stared at Dave for a moment.   
     "I... Are you gay?" Dave looked away from Karkat. "Don't- you don't have to- Sorry, I wasn't thinking-"  
     "Bi... I'm- I like girls and guys." Karkat sighed. "I'll leave if you aren't-"  
     "No! No, it's fine, Dave. Really, I... Am actually Pansexual." Dave smiled slightly and looked up at Karkat.  
     "Race me in Mario Kart?"  
     "You're on, Strider."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's kind of short... I might get another chapter up tonight but I'm not sure...


	13. Chapter 13

_*Three days later*_

 

Dave slid into his desk and pulled his phone out. Karkat and Kankri had taken him shopping over the weekend and bought him everything he had asked for and more. That included a phone, a new laptop, a new set of turntables, and new clothes.   
     "Dave!" Dave looked up, saw John, and smiled. "You're finally back! You missed all last week!"   
     "I know. Did I miss much?"  
     "I have all of your school work here." John dug through his backpack and set a small stack of papers on Dave's desk. "I have all of the answer, too. I'll message them to you tonight."   
     "Thanks, bro."  
     "Why were you gone?" John asked as he sat down.  
     "Bro died."  
     "What?"  
     "He um... He was drinking and something in it reacted to my medication..." John covered his mouth.  
     "I'm so sorry." Dave shrugged.  
     "It's fine. He... It's fine." John stared at Dave for a moment, then turned away. Dave put his phone up and waited for class to start.

     Dave looked up as Karkat came into the classroom.   
     "You uh... Want to head home together?"   
     "I was going to go the park, actually..." Dave mumbled and Karkat nodded.   
     "Do you... Can I come or should I just-"  
     "Yeah, I'd actually like some company." Karkat smiled.   
     "Should I tell Kankri we might be out late?" Dave nodded and stood up.   
     "I have to stop by my locker and put my stuff up. I'll meet you outside." Dave waved and slipped from the room. Karkat sighed and made his way to the doors of the school.

     Karkat followed Dave as strode through the park. He slowed down a few minutes later as the approached a shaded bench. He plopped down on one side of the bench and pat the wood beside him.  
     "Do you come here a lot?" Karkat asked as he sat down beside Dave.   
     "Yeah. I used to come here after school when I didn't feel like going home or when I wanted to be alone. No one ever comes back here."   
     "Am I intruding?"  
     "Not at all." Dave assured him and turned his head. Dave watched as Karkat yawned and looked up at the sky. "Are you tired?"  
     "Hm? Oh, no. It's just so nice out..." Karkat sighed quietly. They sat in silence for a while, watching birds as they floated through the sky.   
     "Have you ever kissed anyone?" Dave asked suddenly and Karkat looked up at him.  
     "I... No..." Karkat mumbled and looked down, his face red. "H-have you?" Dave shrugged.  
     "None of them counted." He gazed at Karkat for a moment. "You um... Do you remember when we played Mario Kart?"  
     "You'll have to be more specific..." Karkat muttered.  
     "The day my Bro died." Dave said. Karkat was silent for a moment.  
     "Yeah I remember..." Karkat answered quietly and Dave bit his lip.  
     "Did you... Want that?"  
     "Did you?" Karkat looked up at Dave, chewing his lip nervously. Dave nodded. "Do-do you want to?"  
     "Yeah." Dave breathed and bit his lip. "Do you?" Karkat smiled slightly. He reached up and touched his fingertips to the rim on Dave's shades.   
     "Can I..."  
     "Go ahead." Karkat pushed them up onto Dave's head. Dave blinked slowly and looked down at Karkat, who was staring up at him with dark eyes, his lips parted slightly.   
     "They're so pretty..." Karkat murmured and stroked Dave's cheek. Dave stared down at Karkat's lips, then looked back up at him. He leaned down, lips brushing against Karkat's. Karkat's eyes slipped shut as Dave pressed their lips together. Karkat's lips parted slightly as he moaned and slid his hand to the back of Dave's neck. Dave ran his thumb over Karkat's cheek and pulled away slowly. He ran his tongue over his lip and smiled at Karkat.   
     "How was it?" He asked. Karkat simply pushed Dave down onto his back and reconnected their lips.


	14. Chapter 14

     Karkat unlocked the door and slipped inside, glancing around the living room. The clock on the wall read 6:36. They were supposed to have gotten home at 5, 5:30 at the latest. Dave came in behind Karkat and shut the door behind himself. He locked it as quietly as possible and looked at Karkat, who shrugged.  
     "I think he may be sleeping." Karkat said right before the Kankri strolled out of the kitchen.   
     "You guys were supposed to be home 1 hours and 36 minutes ago." Kankri looked up at the clock. "1 hours and 37 minutes ago." Kankri eyed them curiously. "Who bit your neck, David?"  
     "It's just Dave." Dave said and Kankri stared at him expectantly. "Just some weirdo at school. It shouldn't matter to you, anyways. Do you think you get to be my guardian now that Bro's gone?"   
     "Someone has to look out for you."  
     "I can look out for myself. I practically have been since I was born!" Dave shouted and then stepped back. Kankri stared at Dave for a moment.   
     "He abused you." Dave glowered at Kankri. "I had suspicions when I first met you. You seemed so vigilant and experienced-"  
     "Stop." Dave hissed and Kankri smirked.   
     "Have I hit a vein?"  
     "Please stop." Kankri turned away.  
     "I'll be in my room. Don't get to loud." He disappeared up the stairs. Karkat put his hand on Dave's shoulder. Dave looked down at him for a moment, then sighed and turned away.  
     "Want to go play Mario Kart?" Karkat nodded. They went upstairs. 

     Dave set his controller down and stretched. He looked over at Karkat and yawned.  
     "It's late." Karkat sighed. "I'm gonna borrow some of your clothes." Dave said and Karkat rolled his eyes. He stood up and turned the T.V. off. Karkat stripped down and pulled on a pair of shorts.   
     Karkat layed down in the bed and held the blanket up for Dave. Dave slid under the blankets and set his shades on the bedside table. Dave's eyes flickered down to Karkat's lips then back up to his eyes. Karkat pecked his lips gently and rolled onto his side. Dave pressed their backs together and sighed deeply. Karkat turned the lamp off.  
     "Goodnight." He muttered and Dave hummed in response, already drifting into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shortness of this chapter but... I guess you'll see why I stopped it here in the next part.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING
> 
> Self harm. You should know when it happens, but if you don't want to accidentally read it, basically stop reading the chapter after "Karkat went home."

_*One Week Later*_

 

Dave flinched as he felt a hand drop down onto his shoulder. He glanced down at the hand, saw a blue hoodie sleeve, and sighed.  
     "Jesus, John. You can't sneak up on someone like that."  
     "I've never seen you flinch. Are you okay?" Dave shrugged John's hand off his shoulder and looked up at him.   
     "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"  
     "Did you get into another fight?" John asked and Dave forced a laugh.  
     "You caught me, bro. Yeah, I fucked up my shoulder pretty badly." Dave saw Karkat scowling at him from the corner of his eyes and rolled his eyes. John glanced over and tilted his head.  
     "Did you and Karkat get in a fight? It looks like he's trying to kill you."  
     "Oh, yeah. He does that sometimes. I'll ask him about it tonight. I gotta go, though. Dinner." John looked up at the clock and gasped.  
     "Shit! My dad's supposed to be home at 4! I'll talk to you later, Dave." John waved as he grabbed his backpack and ran from the room. Dave stood up and walked over to the desk where Karkat sat. He rested his palms on the surface and leaned forward, bending down so he was eye level to Karkat and their noses brushed.   
     "What crawled up your ass?"  
     "Why won't you just tell your friends that your brother abused you?" Dave stared at Karkat. "Do you think they would stop talking to you? You think they would be disgusted that you let that happen. You don't want them to see you as weak." Dave worked his jaw silently. "That's it, isn't it? You're just scared they'll all leave. Oh, wait, I know what you're scared of." Karkat stood up and looked down at Dave. "You're scared they'll use you just like he did. They know you wouldn't put up a fight. You let him have his way with you so easily. Why would it be any different with John? Or Gamzee. I bet you would love for him to-"  
     "Stop!" Dave shoved Karkat back. "How... Why would you say that?" Dave's voice cracked. "I trusted you... How could you use that against me?" Karkat stared at him for a moment, then realization dawned on his face and he stared at Dave in horror.  
     "Dave, I'm so sorry. I wasn't-" Dave turned away, his shoulders shaking violently. "Please, I-"  
     "Don't talk to me." Dave hissed and fled from the room. Karkat followed him, but stopped when Dave turned to him. He stared at him with so much hurt and betrayal in his eyes. Karkat went home.

     Karkat drifted through the doorway of his house, shutting and locking it behind him. He turned the lights and glanced around the room. He spotted a note on the counter and walked over to it.  ** _  
At Porrim's. Haven't made dinner yet. - Kankri._** Karkat felt a sick smile force its way onto his face. He went up to his bathroom and pulled open the drawers, digging through them, his distress growing by the second. He looked down at the floor, checking to see if he missed any. He saw a small note on the floor and picked it up.  **** _I threw your razors away. I didn't want you being tempted. ~ Dave._  
     "Fuck!" Karkat sobbed, then remembered the knife block in the kitchen. He stumbled out of the bathroom and staggered towards the kitchen. He grabbed the handle of one of the knife's and yanked it out. The knife block fell on the floor with a loud clatter as the knives spilled from the block. Karkat collapsed to the floor, holding the sharp blade close to his chest as he sobbed loudly. He brought the knife to his wrist and sliced his skin, shaking in relief. He made another cut, slightly deeper then the previous one. He watched as blood started to puddle on the floor, mixing with his tears. He continued to slice through his wrist, smiling as his head started to spin and black spots began dancing in his vision.  
     Karkat switched to his other wrist when he ran out of room. He only got a few cuts deep before the knife slipped from his hand and he fell forward. He sobbed quietly as he watched the blood flow from his wrists. His eyes started to slip shut and he heard a quiet wailing sound in his ear before he finally slipped out of consciousness. 

     "Dave." Dave sighed and started to pull his phone away from his ear. "Dave, you cannot hang up. It... It's Karkat. He's in the hospital. He's-" Dave's phone fell to the ground. He sat in shock for a few seconds before it finally hit him. He jumped up and ran, unaware of everything except the pounding in his chest and the knot in his stomach.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer:  
> I am not a doctor (sure, I read about medical things and diseases and stuff but knowledge of certain issues doesn't make me a doctor) so the things that happen in here probably aren't accurate.
> 
>  
> 
> ALSO: If you guys have any ideas for titled I would love it if you shared them.

     Dave stumbled into the waiting room of the hospital. Kankri stood by the wall, ringing his hands. They spotted the other at the same time and moved towards each other.  
     "D-" Kankri started talking but Dave ignored him.  
     "Is he okay? What happened? Did he hurt himself?" Dave asked, holding Kankri's shoulders.   
     "I-I don't know. I got home and he was laying in a-a puddle of blood in the kitchen-" Dave swore loudly and turned away, pushing his shades up and rubbing his face.  
     "I didn't even think about the kitchen knives." He sobbed. Kankri put a hand on Dave's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. Dave didn't know if it was meant to make him feel better or for Kankri to calm himself, but it didn't matter.   
     "Has... Karkat done this before?" Kankri asked quietly and Dave nodded.  
     "He said... He hadn't hurt himself since y'all moved here, but... I got rid of all of his razors in case he want to- I didn't think he would use- I thought I would be there to help..." Kankri was quiet for a moment.  
     "It was my fault, wasn't it?" Dave's silence was enough of an answer. Kankri slumped into a chair and held his face in his hands. Dave sat beside him and chewed his lip.  
     "When..."  
     "I called you as soon as I could. He's been here for... An hour or two. I don't know when we'll be able to see him..." Dave sighed and slid down the chair. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there before he fell asleep.

     Dave was ripped from his sleep when a hand touched his shoulder.  
     "He's asking for you." Kankri said and Dave jumped up. He followed Kankri down the hallway, hesitating when they reached the room before slipping inside. Karkat looked up at him immediately started bawling.  
     "Dave, I'm so-" Dave crossed the room quickly and bent down before Karkat could finish. He hid his face in the crook of Karkat's neck, wrapping his arms as well as he could around the smaller boy.   
     "Don't you dare fucking apologize." Dave choked and Karkat sniffled. Dave lifted his head and leaned forward, kissing Karkat's forehead gently. He stroked Karkat's cheek gently and pressed their lips together. Dave sniffled slightly and rested their foreheads together.  
     "I thought I lost you..."He murmured, fingers brushing down Karkat's arm. He stood up and held Karkat's arm, gingerly tracing the cuts. "They're so deep..." He looked up at Karkat, tears welling in his eyes. "Why did you do this?"  
     "What I said to you..." Karkat bit down on his lip.  
     "It's fine, Karkat. I just needed to be alone. I-I shouldn't have left you like that." He pecked Karkat's lips. "I'm so sorry. Please... Don't ever do that again." Karkat nodded and reached up, stroking the back of Dave's head.  
     "I promise." He pushed his lips against Dave's. They kissed until they heard someone clear their throat.  
     "As heartwarming as this exchange is," Kankri started and the boys faces turned bright red as they pulled apart. "We need to talk to the doctor about... The situation." Dave nodded and sat in the chair beside the bed, reaching up and holding Karkat's hand. Kankri stared at Dave's eyes for a moment, before tearing his gaze away when the door opened. Kankri and the doctor whispered together for a moment before the doctor cleared his throat.  
     "Does Karkat have a history of depression?"   
     "Yes, he has medicine he's taking."   
     "Has he tried to commit suicide before?" The doctor asked and Kankri furrowed his brow. He looked over at Karkat curiously. Karkat shook his head. "Okay. Has he inflicted pain on himself before?" Karkat nodded. Kankri shut his eyes and sighed.  
     "Will he have to stay here?"  
     "No. His vitals are good. Barely above what they should be but... The cuts weren't too deep. Just keep him away from sharp objects. Get a therapist for him. We have some therapists that work here if you would like us to give you their numbers."  
     "I have a therapist he can go to, but thank you for the offer." The doctor nodded, then stepped forward and examined Karkat's arms.  
     "You'll need to treat these carefully. Bandage them during the day and let them breathe when you get home. Be careful to not get soap in them when you're showering. You can find some creams that will help them heal quickly in drugstores, though, I would let them heal naturally. If none of you have any questions, you can go ahead and check him out."

     Karkat walked back to the park with Dave. Kankri had gone to buy medicine for Karkat (if medicine meant 5 tubs of rocky road ice cream, a bunch of fucking rom coms, and a black long sleeve sweater) and told them they were going to have a talk when they were all home.   
     "Dave... I-I'm really sorry for saying that about you..." Karkat mumbled and Dave looked over at him.   
     "Don't be. You weren't really wrong, so..." Dave bent down and picked up his phone. He slipped it into his pocket and grabbed his shades, pushing them up onto his head. He stood back up and looked at Karkat, who was staring at him in confusion.  
     "What... Do you mean?"  
     "I..." Dave shook his head, chuckling low in his throat. "I wouldn't stop them. If John... I would let him." Karkat lowered his gaze to the ground.   
     "But you wouldn't want it."  
     "No." Dave answered and Karkat nodded.  
     "Then I was wrong." He murmured and touched Dave's wrist. "You should probably see a therapist." They stared at each other for a moment for bursting into a fit of laughter.   
     "Maybe I should." Dave laughed. He pecked Karkat's lips gently. "Let's go home and have that 'talk' your brother so desperately needs." 


	17. Chapter 17

This is a chapter it's just a quick little update....

Um... Basically, I have pretty bad writers block right now and I'm trying to get past it so as soon as I finish it I'll get the chapter up but....

I've been really suicidal lately and like.... I'm sorry. I may not get a chapter up for a while....


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y'all for all the love! I'm starting to feel better (my moirail is cheering me up) and I'm trying to gt past this to where I have shit planned.
> 
> Meant to get this up earlier BUT my moirail was being very... Distracting.
> 
> I apologize in advance for the bad writing... The first part of the chapter was written a few hours before another mental breakdown so I guess I was kind of falling into a funk or something?  
> Also: Didn't really know how to write the beginning so... It's very shitty.

     Dave and Karkat sat on the couch across from Kankri. Kankri stared at them for a moment before he sighed and turned to Karkat.  
     "Why haven't you been taking your anti-depressants?"   
     "I've been feeling better." Karkat shrugged. "I didn't need them anymore."  
     "It's not for you to say whether or not you need them. If you felt like you could do without them, you should have told me and we could have talked to your doctor." Karkat rolled his eyes.  
     "Look, Kankri. I'm fine. I don't need to be taking 'happy pills'. I'm perfectly fucking happy." Kankri looked down at Karkat's arms, then back up at him.  
     "Why did you do that? If you're so happy, why did you feel the need to slice your wrists open?" Karkat turned his head to face the wall. Kankri shut his eyes and sighed. "Karkat."  
     "Fuck- Fine! I was a fucking dick to Dave and I thought he would stop talking to me..." Karkat shrugged again. "He's my only friend. I didn't want to fuck it up." Kankri gazed at him sadly. Dave was surprised he didn't yell at him for swearing.   
     "Karkat... You have other friends. And I doubt Dave would leave you for... Whatever you said to him." Karkat glanced over at Dave, who smiled at him.   
     "I wouldn't." Dave murmured, and directed his attention back to Kankri. "Anything else?" Kankri eyed them for a moment, then tilted his head slightly.  
     "Are you guys in a relationship?" They both looked at each other for a moment, and then shrugged.   
     "We haven't talked about it." Dave said and Kankri stared at them.  
     "But... You kissed... A lot."  
     "I kiss Sollux. We aren't in a relationship." Karkat muttered and Kankri sighed.   
     "Okay..."  
     "Are we done?"  
     "For now." Kankri answered and waved a dismissive hand. Dave and Karkat quickly ran to their room.

     They collapsed onto the bed and looked at each other.  
     "So, Karks." Karkat raised and eyebrow. "No?"  
     "Try again, Strider." Dave gazed at him for a moment and laughed. "What?" Karkat snapped and Dave kissed his nose.  
     "You get so cute when you're flustered, Vantas." Karkat scowled at Dave and rolled onto his side away from Dave. "Want to play a video game?"  
     "It's late."  
     "Super Smash Bros?" Dave asked and Karkat sighed loudly.   
     "Fuck you." They grabbed their controllers. 

     "Damn, Vantas. You're pretty good." Karkat sneered at Dave.  
     "Thanks."  
     "Seriously. You almost beat me a few times. Unfortunately for you, I'm actually a master at this game." Karkat rolled his eyes.  
     "Whatever." Karkat threw his controller onto the floor. "We should go to bed. It's late."   
     "But we don't have school tomorrow." Dave pointed out and Karkat stared at him in confusion. "We have the day off. Something about a bad weather day or something."  
     "Oh, right..." Karkat sighed. "I'm not going to play anymore, though. My eyes are burning." Dave nodded and turned the T.V. off. He set his controller down on the bedside table beside his shades and turning to face Karkat.  
     "What do you want to do?"  
     "I don't know..." Dave hummed and gazed at him for a few moments.  
     "Have you ever kissed anyone? Besides me, of course..." Karkat's face turned red and he looked away.  
     "I... One of my friends was... Really upset and she kissed me and I kissed back... I don't know if that counts, though..."   
     "It doesn't." Dave answered and pat his arm. Karkat rolled his eyes. "Now you ask something?"  
     "Why are we doing this?"  
     "Learn more about each other. Go." Karkat sighed and stared at Dave for a moment before looking away.  
     "Did you... Um... What was the first thing he made you do?" Dave gave Karkat an amused smile and looked up at the ceiling.  
     "Hmmm... I don't remember... I think he made me blow him." Karkat nodded.  
     "I'm sorry."  
     "Nah, it's cool bro. Have you ever had sex?"  
     "No." Dave stared at him, smiling slightly. "What?"  
     "You're so pure."  
     "Fuck off." Karkat growled and looked down at his wrists. "Have you ever hurt yourself?"  
     "No. Bro hurt me enough and... He wouldn't let anyone but him lay a hand on me, even myself."Karkat bit his lip. "It's fine, though. He kept me from hurting myself when people bullied me, so... I don't know. I don't really know if I even hated him." Dave sighed and Karkat touched his shoulder gently.  
     "He  _was_ your guardian. I mean... I don't even hate Kankri as much as I probably should... It's hard to hate the person who raised you, especially if they do protect you."   
     "I guess... My turn?" Karkat nodded. "What's your favorite color?"  
     "Seriously?" Dave stared at him. "Red."   
     "Mine, too." They stared at each other for a while before looking back up at the ceiling.  
     "Do you... Like me?" The corner of Dave's mouth quirked up into a smile and he glanced at Karkat.   
     "We've literally made out before." Karkat's face turned bright red and he looked away. "Do you like me?" Dave crooned and Karkat growled. "No?"  
     "Fuck you." Karkat grumbled and turned his head to kiss Dave's cheek. "Goodnight." Dave hummed quietly and waited for Karkat to turn the lights off before rolling onto his side, their backs pressed together. They drifted to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Gasp* They're finally playing something other than Mario Kart??!!?!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to thank y'all for all your understanding and kindness. It really means a lot to me! :3
> 
> I meant to get this up last night (15th), but I had another panic attack so I couldn't really write for a few hours.
> 
> Edit: I couldn't get it up on the 16th because I had a band concert.
> 
>  
> 
> I'm still kind of going through writers block... Most of this chapter is written without any planning or anything....

     Dave woke up and looked down, smiling as he saw Karkat wrapped around his torso. He stroked Karkat's head gently, trying not to get his fingers tangled in his hair. Karkat grumbled slightly and shifted around, moving so his thigh slipped between Dave's. Dave bit his lip and stared at Karkat for a moment before nudging him.  
     "Hey, um... Your leg..." Karkat glanced down, blushed, and wiggled away from Dave.  
     "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"  
     "It-It's cool, bro. You don't have to go all the way over there, I just... Don't want..." Karkat nodded. Dave gazed at him for a moment. "You still wanna cuddle or naw?" Karkat smiled and inched toward him, slipping under his arm and nuzzling his chest. Karkat yawned loudly and buried his face in the crook of Dave's neck.  
     "Goodnight..." He mumbled, smiling slightly as Dave kissed his head. Dave stroked Karkat's head gently, listening as his breathing slowed and he purred softly in his throat.  
     "I love you."

     Karkat slipped into Kankri's room and shut the door behind him. Kankri set his book on the bedside table and shifted to one half of the bed, lifting the covers so Karkat could crawl under them. Kankri let Karkat curl up against his side and rubbed his shoulder.   
     "It's been a while. Are you okay?" Karkat hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly. "You seem unsure. What happened?"  
     "Dave... Said he loved me." Kankri stared at him.   
     "And? I thought you would be happy about that."   
     "He thought I was sleeping." Karkat muttered and Kankri sighed.  
     "He probably thought he would scare you." Karkat shrugged. "Dave does love you. I've never seen him care for someone as much as when he came to see you in the hospital. When I called him- I had barely gotten three words out before the line was cut off." Karkat's mouth twitched up into a smile. "Are you going to ask him to be your boyfriend?"  
     "No! No, I... I don't know?" Karkat stammered and Kankri chuckled.  
     "He's not going to say no. I don't care if you like guys.  _Dad_ doesn't care if you like guys."   
     "Obviously you wouldn't. You're always fawning over C-" Kankri slapped his hand over Karkat's mouth.  
     "I am not." Karkat raised and eyebrow. Kankri huffed and rolled his eyes. "You don't know what you're talking about. Just... Go back to your room. I need sleep." 

     Dave looked up as Karkat slipped back into the room and shut the door behind him.   
     "Where were you?" Dave asked as Karkat slid under the blankets beside him.  
     "Kankri's room. Have you been awake long?"  
     "A few minutes." Dave muttered as Karkat wiggled into his arms. "What were you doing in his room?"  
     "Talking..."  
     "What were y'all talking about?" Karkat shrugged. "Secret Vantas shit?"  
     "Yeah..." Dave sighed. "Goodnight, Dave."  
     "Goodnight..." Dave yawned and kissed Karkat's head. "Sweet dreams."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's short, I couldn't really think of any other way to continue it. You will understand soon.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was going to make this chapter longer but i uh... one of my friends may of committed suicide and i... i just wanted to get another chapter up in case i cant for a while and... i was almost done with it. the writing does get pretty shitty towards the end though cus like... yeah... im sorry

_*One week later*_

 

Karkat scowled as Eridan pushed Sollux against the wall and snapped at his neck.  
     "I would appreciate it if you didn't have hate sex in my living room." Karkat growled and the two pulled apart, glaring at each other before sitting on opposite sides of the room. Karkat glanced up as Dave came down the stairs, looked around the room, and sat on the couch beside Karkat.  
     "Where's your brother? I'm starving."  
     "He'th probably banging Cronuth upthairth." Sollux said. Eridan and Karkat exchanged looks of disgust.   
     "Kankri wouldn't do that." Karkat muttered. "Vow of chastity or whatever. I'll go find him." Karkat disappeared up the stairs. He came back down a moment later, his face red and eyes wide. "I guess he would." Eridan gagged loudly and Sollux stuck his tongue out.   
     "How dare they? There are children in the house you fucking sluts!" Dave shouted. A loud thump sounded from above. Kankri stumbled down the stairs a few moments later, followed by Cronus. He ran his hands through his hair in a desperate attempt to get it to lay back down.  
     "We-we didn't realize you guys were still in the house." Kankri stammered and Dave raised an eyebrow.  
     "Is that an excuse for your lewd behavior?" Dave questioned and Kankri's face grew redder. "Can you make us lunch?"   
     "Yeah..." Kankri mumbled and shuffled into the kitchen. Cronus sniggered as he leaned against the wall.   
     "Really, kid? You're like 12 or something." Dave looked up at Cronus.   
     "You must be a kinky motherfucker to get it on in a house where children are present." Cronus lifted his head slightly and looked down on Dave.  
     "You a detective or something?"  
     "No, sir. You see, 12 year old's aren't allowed to have jobs." Cronus laughed slightly, then turned and slipped into the kitchen.   
     "Davve, wwhat the fuck?" Eridan laughed and Dave shrugged.  
     "He seems like a douche."   
     "It runth in the family." Sollux smirked and Eridan scowled at him.   
     "Shut your wwhore mouth."  
     "Why don't you make me?" Sollux challenged and Eridan slammed him against the wall. Karkat groaned and looked up at Dave  
     "Want to go up to my room?"  
     "I'm glad you asked." Dave answered and they snuck away.

     Dave gazed at Karkat as he changed into his pajamas. Karkat sighed loudly as he flopped back down onto the bed beside Dave.  
     "Even though you have shades on," Karkat said as he pushed Dave's shades up. "I still know where you're looking."   
     "Can you blame me?" Dave murmured, dragging his gaze over Karkat's chest. Karkat's face turned bright red and he scowled.   
     "Shut up..." Dave hummed and kissed Karkat's cheek. "I'm fat." Dave looked up at Karkat in surprise, then looked down at him.  
     "No, you aren't." Karkat dropped his gaze. "Hey. Dude. You aren't. You're beautiful." Dave kissed Karkat's nose. "I love you." Karkat smiled.  
     "I..." Dave smiled warmly and brushed his knuckles over Karkat's cheek.  
     "You don't have to say it back. Let's just go to sleep, okay?" Karkat nodded and let Dave wrap around him. Dave kissed the back of his head. They drifted off to sleep.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if my writing style seems a bit different? I finally fell back into my usual way of writing (pretty much this) but uh... If you don't like it I can try to keep writing how I have been.

     Dave sat on the bed beside Karkat, back against the wall, knees pulled to his chest. He gazed down at Karkat's sleeping figure before sighing and turning his gaze back to the ceiling.   
     The door opened slightly and dim light filtered into the room. Kankri regarded Karkat gently before turning his attention to Dave. He tilted his head to the side and Dave shrugged. Kankri clicked his tongue slightly, a gesture Dave had come to know meant he was thinking. Kankri ran his tongue over his teeth a few times, then motioned for Dave to step out with him.   
     Dave waited for Kankri to shut the door before he carefully slid out of bed and pulled on a hoodie, knowing full well how cold the outdoors could be. He slunk from the room silently and padded down the stairs. He slipped through the backdoor, keeping it cracked open so he could make an easy escape if necessary. Kankri looked up from where he leaned against the side of the house and held out a bottle. Dave shot him a puzzled look, getting only a shrug in response. He smiled slightly and took the bottle, gratefully taking a swig.   
     The pair stood in silence for a while. Neither was sure how long they had been standing out there, but Dave, the better time keeper out of them, reasoned that it must have been at least half an hour. Half an hour since they has stepped out into the chilly night air. Half an hour spent in silence.  
     "Why?" Dave finally asked.   
     "I wanted to talk to you."  
     "I'm not going to hurt Karkat. I'm not- I'm not a fucking idiot. I know how to-"  
     "Whoa." Kankri chuckled. "Take a breath, okay?" Dave rolled his eyes but did as he was told. Took another drink. Looked back at Kankri. "I never said you were an idiot. In fact, I think you are quite smart." Dave stared at him.  
     "Okay. Why  _did_ you bring me out here?" Kankri eyed him.  
     "You've been thinking too much. I've seen how wary you have been." Dave looked down. "It's okay to be scared. Most people-"  
     "I'm not scared." Dave growled and Kankri waited for further explanation. "I-I'm ashamed, I guess. I fucking... If people at school found out I would-" Dave cut off with a helpless shrug. He drank.  
     "They won't. Even if they did, you wouldn't be able to do anything. Don't even fucking think about hurting yourself, Dave." Kankri's voice grew dark. Dave flinched away from it. "It would destroy everyone. Karkat, John- fucking Gamzee would be upset!"   
     "I..." Dave went to take another drink but Kankri stopped him.  
     "I'm sorry for raising my voice. I just... People care about you, Dave. They care so, so much. Doing that... It's just selfish."  
     "I guess Karkat's pretty fucking selfish, then?" Dave snapped.  
     "He felt as if no one cared for him."  
     "I feel that way. Doesn't that justify it?" Dave challenged and Kankri stared at him.  
     "You have so many people. You have... You have Karkat."  
     "Do I?" Dave asked. His voice broke. He took a drink. Slid down the wall. Took another, longer drink. Kankri went inside.

     Karkat woke up alone. The mattress beside him was cold. He got out of bed and padded downstairs, looking around the room. Kankri glanced up from the armchair.  
     "He's outside." Karkat stared at him for a moment in confusion, then turned and walked to the back door. He stepped outside and looked around, finally spotting Dave. Leaning against the house, asleep, bottle in hand. Karkat shut his eyes and sighed, before sliding down the wall beside Dave.  
     "Dave?" Karkat whispered as he shook his friend gently. Dave blinked his open slowly, wincing slightly at the dim sunlight.   
     "Fuck. Did I fall asleep?" Karkat nodded, his brow furrowed with worry.  
     "Are you okay? Did something happen?"  
     "Yeah, I'm fine. I've just been... Fucked up about my brother. Just thinking about him or some shit, I dunno..." Karkat sighed sadly and leaned over, resting his forehead on Dave's shoulder.  
     "I'm sorry. Do you want to come inside?" Dave shrugged, then shook his head.  
     "No, I... I want to go to the park." Karkat nodded and started to stand up. "Do you want to come with me?" Dave asked quietly and Karkat looked down.  
     "Yes, of course." He helped Dave up carefully. They walked to the park. 

     

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter and the shitty ending. 
> 
> Also, side note: Drama will happen in the next chapter. A lot. Just... Prepare yourself. :)


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh. Sorry for the time skip. And the bad writing. And butchering Gamzee.
> 
> Aggravated sexual assault and self harm. (Though that shouldn't be a problem if you've read any of the chapters preceding this...)  
> Drama and stuff.

_*4 days later*_

 

     Dave started to stand up as the bell rang, but stopped when a hand was slammed down on his desk. Gamzee Makara stood in front of him. When he was sure Dave had noticed him, he bent down, crossing his arms over the top of his desk and gazed at him.  
     "I think we need to talk." He said, growling slightly despite the smile on his face. Dave glanced over at Karkat, who nodded.  
     "I'll wait outside." Dave smiled slightly. He and Gamzee watched as Karkat left. Gamzee waited a few moments before standing up and motioning for Dave to do the same.  
     "Walk with me, brother." Dave stood up and let Gamzee lead him slowly down the hallway.   
     "What's up?"  
     "I hear you've been hitting on my bro, Karcrab." Dave shrugged.  
     "What about it?" Gamzee glanced down at Dave, eyebrows quirked up.  
     "Are you making him uncomfortable?"  
     "What- No! I wouldn't do that." Gamzee stared down at him for a moment, before smiling.  
     "Motherfuck, you really are great." Dave laughed awkwardly. "So, Dave..." Gamzee turned toward him, pushing him gently against the lockers. "You know about Sollux and Eridan, yeah?"   
     "You mean their hate relationship?" Gamzee nodded. "Yeah."  
     "Do you like it?" Gamzee's nose was only inches from Dave's.  
     "I mean it doesn't directly affect me so I don't really have an opinion." Dave said quietly, subtly tilting his head away from Gamzee's. Gamzee brushed his lips up Dave's neck, stopping to bite his jaw. Dave shut his eyes and whimpered slightly. Gamzee reached his hand up and pressed it against Dave's chest. Dave bit his lip and shoved him back, stumbling away quickly. He slammed into someone and fell back.  
     "I'm so-"  
     "Watch where your going, motherfucker." The person muttered and slammed her locker shut. She eyed Dave quickly and smirked. "Or should I say brotherfucker?" Dave recoiled in shock and the woman sneered. "Fucking disgusting." Dave locked his jaw to keep his lip from quivering turned, fleeing from the building. He ran past Karkat, ignoring his shouts of confusion and worry. He let his feet carry him. He didn't know where he ended up, just that it had everything he wanted at the moment.

 _Dave was in Karkat's room. He knew that wasn't where he fell asleep, but he couldn't care over the painful pounding in his head._  
_"Dave? Did something happen?" Karkat asked, careful to keep his voice soft._  
_"No."_  
_"Dave. What did he do to you?"_  
_"He... I-I don't even know. He was like... Trying to hate-rape me?" Karkat stared at Dave for a moment, then sighed._  
_"I'm sorry. He... He doesn't-"_  
_"It's fine. I didn't... I didn't tell him I didn't want him to-"_  
_"That doesn't matter, Dave! It... He shouldn't have done that!" Dave looked away from Karkat, his cheeks pinkening. "Fuck, I-I didn't mean to make you-"_  
_"No, you... I just- I can't tell people to stop. I..." Karkat bit his lip and reached out, stroking Dave's cheek. "It wasn't him that- It wasn't his fault. I... People found out. Someone- They know that Bro..." Dave sniffled slightly and pressed the back of his hand against his eye._  
_"Dave, they... It was just one person, right? Maybe no one else knows." Dave shook his head._  
_"If one person..." Karkat hummed softly, then sat back._  
_"I think I know who might have told them. I-I'll talk to them and... Get back to you." Dave laughed slightly. "Do you want anything? Ice cream or... Something?" Dave shook his head._  
_"No, I just... Want to be alone for a while." Karkat nodded._  
_"You can lock my door if you need. I'll tell Kankri to stay away, though I doubt he'll be home soon..." Karkat leaned down, pressing his lips to Dave's cheek. "I love you."_

Dave's eyes fluttered open slightly, then immediately shut. He groaned softly, now aware of a slow throbbing in his head, stomach, and thighs. He could almost feel the warmth of the florescent lights shining down on him. He finally managed to open his eyes and looked around, examining his surroundings. Spotless counters. Shining floors. Tubes. He reached to the i.v. that was taped to his hand and touched it gently, looking at the other tube that was stuck in his arm. He followed it to a bag of blood and stared at it for a moment.  
     "Dave!" The door burst open and Karkat stumbled toward him, falling onto him and hugging him tightly, burying his face in Dave's neck. Dave winced slightly, but reached up and wrapped his arm around Karkat's back. "I thought... You lost so much blood, I-I fucking..." Karkat sobbed.   
     "I'm sorry, I wasn't-"  
     "Don't. Don't fucking apologize, I-I'm so glad you're okay." They held each other tightly until the sound of footsteps filtered into the room. Karkat stood up, leaving his hand draping down over Dave's arm. A doctor walked into the room, followed closely by Kankri, who was nibbling on a cookie.  
     "I see you're finally awake. Most patients don't stay asleep as long and have to stay in the hospital, but since you have been healing while you slept, you should be good to go. Of course, you'll still need to be careful. I would say try not to do to much movement as it could open your cuts."  
     "How long was I asleep?" Dave asked and the doctor glanced down at their clipboard.  
     "Four days. You did, of course, drift in and out of consciousness." Dave bit his lip and looked up at Karkat. "Anyways, the Vantas's and I have already spoken about how they will care for you. You can go ahead and go home, they will fill you in on what you need to do to keep your cuts clean." Dave nodded. "Have a good day. I'll leave you." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shitty writing.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to get this up earlier but I've been so tired lately and pretty much sleeping 29/7 for the past few days?

     Dave watched as Karkat filled the bathtub with water.   
     "Is it warm enough?" Karkat asked quietly. Dave shrugged, keeping his eyes on the ground. "Dave..." Dave shook his head slightly and Karkat sighed. He turned the water off and stood up. He helped Dave strip and step into the bath, then sat on the edge of the tub and gazed down at him.  
     "I got stitches?" Dave asked quietly, running his fingers over the cuts on his thighs.  
     "You cut an artery. Dave, you lost so much blood... You could have died!" Dave stared at his hands.   
     "They found out. Someone at school... They-they know." Dave whimpered and Karkat bit his lip. He touched Dave's shoulder gently.   
     "I... Gamzee talked to me. He found out but... He only told that one person. He didn't mean to. He said they were both really drunk and it slipped out but he blackmailed her not to tell anyone." Dave laughed slightly.  
     "That... Sounds bad." Karkat shrugged.  
     "They both have shit on each other so they made an agreement not to tell anyone." Dave nodded. "Gamzee um... Said he was sorry. He was really high and he wasn't aware that you weren't consenting..."   
     "It's... Yeah. The way he was talking was just so similar to how Bro... Fuck. I'm sorry, I-"  
     "Don't be. You haven't done anything, Dave. Besides hurting yourself, I mean..." Dave bit his lip and looked down at his hands. "Dave, I..." Karkat chewed his lip for a moment. "I'm- Are you going to be okay on your own to bathe? Kankri and I..." Dave nodded.  
     "Yeah, I'm... Yeah." Dave smiled slightly. Karkat stood up and gazed at Dave for a moment, then bent down, kissed his forehead, and left the room. Dave submerged himself under the water.

     Karkat glanced up as Dave opened the door. He stared at Karkat for a moment before walking over and collapsing onto the bed beside him. He buried his face in the pillows, body shaking with silent cries. Karkat pulled Dave into his lap, holding him tightly. He didn't ask what was wrong. He let Dave cry on him, waiting until he finally stopped before he leaned down and pressed his lips to Dave's head.  
     "I love you." Karkat whispered. Dave started crying again.

     Karkat stared down at Dave's sleeping face, chewing his lip nervously. He shut his eyes, sighed, and slid out of bed, padding down the hall to find Kankri. Kankri looked up as Karkat entered his room, raising an eyebrow curiously.   
     "What's worrying you?" He asked as Karkat stood in front of him, awkwardly tugging on his sleeve.  
     "Do... Have you... Had sex?" Kankri stared at Karkat for a moment, then laughed. Karkat bit his lip and turned away, his face bright red. Kankri grabbed Karkat's arm before he could leave the room and gently pushed him into the chair across from him.   
     "Do you want to have sex?"   
     "With you?" Karkat wailed and Kankri snorted.  
     "No. We're brothers, that would just be-" Kankri stopped suddenly and bit his lip. "I... Sorry." Karkat shrugged. "Okay. Do you?"  
     "I... Y-Yeah?" Kankri hummed slightly and eyed Karkat.  
     "Do you need 'the talk'? Because I feel like dad should be the one-"  
     "No! No, I-I know... How it works... I was just... When did you?" Karkat stammered.  
     "Hmm. I think I was... Eighteen or nineteen?" Karkat stared at him.  
     "But... You-you are nineteen." Kankri nodded. "Haven't you an Cronus been together for like three years?"  
     "Yes. That doesn't mean we had sex. He knew he would have to wait, and he was okay with that." Karkat looked down at his hands. "I'm not saying you have to, though. If I were you I would let Dave decide..."   
     "Yeah, I know. I just... Do I just let him... Make the decisions?" Karkat asked.  
     "If I were in his situation, I wouldn't feel safe letting other people top, but he is a different person. I think it would be best if you talked to him about it." Karkat nodded and stood up, turning to leave the room. "Oh, and use protection!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut will probably be happening soon if that's something you're waiting for


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was going to get this up earlier but my computer decided to not fucking save the chapter so I lost a lot of it so I'm sorry if the middle of the chapter seems half-assed.
> 
>  Also sorry for the sudden interruption thing about 750 words in I think?
> 
> Lil' bit o' smut. Kind of.  
> (Sorry for bad writing. My asexiness prevents me from knowing shit about stuff like this so it's probably pretty bad but uh... I tried.)

     Dave watched as Karkat slipped back into the room, shutting the door behind himself. He walked over and sat on the bed beside Dave, glancing down at him before staring up at the ceiling.   
     "Do you... Want to do it?" Karkat asked quietly and Dave blinked up at him.  
     "With you?" Karkat nodded.   
     "I... Do _you_ want to?"   
     "I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Karkat said in lieu of an answer. Dave stared at him and Karkat bit his lip. "Yes." He answered quietly. Dave smiled and leaned forward, kissing Karkat quickly.  
     "Do you have condoms?"  
     "No? Why? Do you have AID's?" Dave laughed slightly and shook his head.  
     "No. No, I don't have any STD's. I got tested every week."  
     "Then... Do we have to use one?" Karkat asked. Dave bit his lip.  
     "I guess not... You have lube, right?" Karkat shook his head and Dave rolled his eyes. "So unprepared..." Dave leaned over and dug around under the bed before he sat back up. He handed Karkat the bottle.  
     "You... Why do you have this?" Dave shrugged. Karkat stared at it for a moment before looking back up at Dave. "You're sure you want to do this, right?"  
     "Yes. I'm positive. Are you sure you want to?" Karkat hesitated slightly, then nodded. Dave sighed. "If you aren't sure-"  
     "No! I-I am, I just... Won't it hurt?"  
     "It shouldn't. Do you want to top?" Karkat's eyes widened and he shook his head. Dave smiled slightly. "I'll try to make it as painless as possible. Don't be afraid to tell me to stop." He pecked Karkat's lips and sat back, staring at him for a moment before laughing slightly. "You uh... You gonna undress?" Karkat looked down and turned bright red.  
     "No, Dave. I was actually going to keep them on."  Karkat snapped and Dave rolled his eyes. He hooked his fingers in the waistband of Karkat's shorts and Karkat flinched. Dave looked up at him curiously but Karkat averted his gaze. He lifted his hips enough for Dave to be able to bull his shorts off. As soon as he did he started to pull his legs up but Dave stopped him.  
     "Karkat. Don't hide from me." Karkat's legs were tense under Dave's hand as he stared up at him. Dave stared back him for a second, before jerking away. "Oh, God. I'm-I'm sorry. I was fucking- fuck, I'm sorry." Karkat pulled his legs to his chest, lowering his head.  
     "It's... I just hate the feeling of people's eyes on me..." Dave stared at him for a moment, then sat back and tore his gaze from Karkat. Karkat sat quietly for a few minutes, before sighing and lifting his head. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Dave's, leaning back and pulling him down slowly. Dave slid his hand down Karkat's body, brushing his knuckles over his hip before pushing his hand between Karkat's legs. Karkat let Dave separate his legs. Dave slowly moved his lips down Karkat's neck and chest, stopping and flicking his tongue over his nipple before closing his lips around it. Karkat gasped loudly, arching his back, hands grabbing at the sheets. Dave smirked slightly, and gently scraped his teeth across his skin.   
     Dave slid his hand up Karkat's thigh while he moved his attention to his other nipple, using his other hand to pinch the other swollen nub. He wrapped his fingers around Karkat's dick, sliding his thumb over the slit and rubbing the pre-cum around the head. Karkat moaned loudly, moving his hand to grab Dave's hair. Dave let out a breathy moan and looked up at Karkat through heavy lidded eyes. Karkat gazed down at him, biting his lip to quiet himself. Dave smiled slightly and moved up his body, straddling his hips as he pressed their lips together lazily. He grinded his hips against Karkat's slowly, letting his head loll to the side as he moaned lowly. Karkat let out breathy whimpers, nails digging into Dave's back as he tried to press their bodies closer. Dave kissed his neck softly, tilting his hips slightly, earning a loud gasp from Karkat. Dave reached over and squirted some lube onto his fingers, then moving it down and pressing a finger against Karkat's asshole. He pushed it in slowly, smiling as Karkat made a low gurgling sound and arched his back up, forcing Dave's finger farther in. Dave moved his finger slowly, then curled it against Karkat's prostate, causing him to let out a high pitched whine.   
     The door opened suddenly and the boys froze. They slowly looked over, both expecting Kankri. When they realized it was not, in fact, Kankri, Karkat screamed. The man, who looked a lot like Kankri and Karkat, stared at them for a moment, grinned, shot them a double thumbs up, and shut the door. Karkat bit his lip and Dave pulled his finger out, wiping it off on the bed. Karkat shut his eyes and sighed deeply.  
     "Hey, uh... Who was that?" Dave asked.  
     "That," Karkat said as he slid off the bed, wincing slightly. "Was my dad."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any ideas what name I can use for his dad, as it would be pretty fucking weird for them to call him the Signless/Sufferer?


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the notes at the end. You don't have to, but it's just some information you might want?
> 
>  
> 
> Also, sorry for the weird writing. I'm having kin memories or some shit and they're kind of fucking with me. (Mostly just of my death and shit so my face really hurts and it's hard for me to keep my eye open...)

_"Hey, uh... Who was that?" Dave asked._  
_"That," Karkat said as he slid off the bed, wincing slightly. "Was my dad."_

 

"Your-your dad?" Dave whispered and Karkat nodded, chewing his lip nervously. "I guess that was a great fucking first impression."   
     "Don't joke like that." Karkat grumbled, throwing Dave some clothes. "Just... Get dressed or something."  
     "He already saw me naked." Dave pointed out and Karkat growled. Dave held his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, I'm sorry." Dave said and got dressed quickly. They stared at each other for a few minutes, Karkat chewing the skin around his nails and Dave scratching at it with his fingers.   
     "Karkat?" Karkat looked up at him. "Doesn't your window open?" Karkat considered it for a moment, then shook his head.  
     "No... No, we'll just... I don't know..." Dave stepped forward and kissed the top of Karkat's head, then pecked his lips. He grabbed his shades, slipped them on, then looked at the door.  
     "After you?" Karkat sighed and pushed past him, then padded down the stairs.

     Dave stood at the edge of the room as Karkat shuffled up to his dad. Kankri glanced down at Karkat, biting his lip to hide a smile. His dad shuffled his hair, then turned and examined Dave. Dave forced himself not to turn away.   
     "Ooh, a blond." Dave bit his lip. "Wow, Karkat, you've got a good taste in men." Dave looked down and Karkat tore himself from the counter, flinging himself at Dave. He pulled Dave to his chest, rubbing his back as he shook quietly.   
     "It was just a joke, Dave." Karkat pushed Dave's sunglasses up and met his eyes, stroking his cheek. "He doesn't know. He didn't mean it like that." Dave stared at Karkat for a moment before nodding, stepping away, and covering his eyes. Karkat looked up at his dad. "We'll talk later." His dad nodded, then directed his gaze to Dave.  
     "What's your name?" Dave seemed to relax slightly.  
     "Dave." His dad nodded.  
     "You can call me Karcin." Dave mouthed his name softly, his head lowered. Karkat growled softly and grabbed Dave's wrist. Dave looked up at him, eyes unfocused. Karkat stared at him for a moment before he looked up at his dad.  
     "Can we go now? Dave isn't feeling too well..." His dad nodded, worry creasing his brow. Karkat pulled Dave up the stairs.

     "I'm sorry, Dave. I-I didn't think his jokes would affect you like that." Dave stared down at his hands, grinding his jaw softly.  
     "It's... He... One of Bro's friends used to- He would let him... That's-that's what he said the first time I met him... It-it wasn't that, though, I'm just- I don't like being around adult guys..." Karkat nodded and sat on the bed beside Dave.   
     "I should have thought of that. I'm sorry." Dave shrugged. "I'm gonna go talk to my dad." Dave nodded and slid under the covers. Karkat gazed at him for a moment, before going back downstairs.

     Dave woke up to the feeling of someone sitting down beside him. Karkat smiled down at him.   
     "He said he would leave you alone." Dave nodded. "Also..." Karkat pulled a small packet out of his pocket. Dave laughed slightly.  
     "He really does have a sense of humor." Karkat raised his eyebrows in a sort of nod and set the condom on the bedside table. Dave stared at it for a moment and Karkat watched him, before clearing his throat quietly.  
     "I didn't mean for that to seem like-"  
     "I know." Dave said and they sat in silence for a few minutes. "Would you want to?" Karkat nodded. "Okay. Would you... Maybe want to top?"  
     "Do you want me to?" Karkat asked and Dave shrugged.   
     "If you want to."  
     "Would it make you more comfortable?"  
     "Would it make you?" Dave asked. They stared at each other for a moment, then laughed. "Seriously, though. Is it okay with you?" Karkat bit his lip.  
     "Yeah, I just... Would probably be really awkward. I've never done it before so..." Karkat muttered  
     "I've never topped before." Dave pointed out. "So I think it would be just as awkward. But if you don't want to I can-" Karkat shook his head.  
     "No, I-I'll top..." Dave nodded, chewing his bottom lip awkwardly. "Do you... Want to do it now?" Karkat nodded. Dave smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so basically, I'm going on a trip to Ireland soon. I'm leaving on the 16th, and I'm coming back on the 27th. I'm not taking my laptop, so I won't be able to write while I'm there. I also have a fuckton of summer work due before I leave, because I'm going to be gone when it's due and need to get it early. 
> 
> Edit: I may be able to get another chapter up before I leave, but since I'm not sure how long the summer work will take or how long the next chapter will be, I can't be sure.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is bad I'm just bad at writing and I don't even really know how to write this shit?

     Karkat stared at Dave for a moment, chewing his lip for a moment. Dave watched him, the corner of his lip twitching up into a smile.  
     "Do you want to bottom?" Karkat bit his lip and shrugged.  
     "Are you comfortable with bottoming?" Dave shut his eyes for a moment, then looked up at Karkat.  
     "I-I don't know." Karkat nodded and kissed Dave.  
     "That's okay. Do you want to just top?" Dave hesitated a moment, then nodded.  
     "I'm sorry."  
     "Don't be! I don't mind I just... Want you..." Karkat muttered and Dave smirked. Karkat's face flushed red and he looked away from Dave. Dave pulled Karkat onto his lap and stroked his cheek, pecking his lips.  
     "How do you want to do this?" Karkat bit his lip and shrugged. Dave hummed and slid his hands under Karkat's shirt, pulling it off and tossing it onto the floor. Karkat glanced down at the tent in Dave's pants and bit his lip. Dave kissed Karkat's cheek. "Lube?" Karkat nodded and hopped off the bed, grabbing the lube and watching as Dave pulled his pants off. Karkat stared at him, mouth hanging slightly open.   
     "You're huge..." Karkat breathed. Dave looked down at himself and shrugged.  
     "I've had bigger... Oh! But uh... If you're not comfortable-"  
     "Dave." Dave bit his lip and glanced up. "I fucking love you."   
     Dave grinned and Karkat stumbled back to the bed. He stepped out of his shorts awkwardly and crawled onto the bed. Dave hummed gently and pressed his lips against Karkat's, running a hand down his chest.   
     "Karkat, can you lay on your stomach?" Karkat furrowed his eyebrows and Dave bit his lip. "Trust me?" Karkat nodded and laid on his stomach, adjusting himself so his chin was resting on a pillow. Dave leaned over him, kissing his neck gently. Dave nudged Karkat;s legs apart and pushed his hips up. Karkat looked over his shoulder curiously and Dave kissed his nose. Dave grabbed the lube and squirted some onto his fingers, the pressed a finger against Karkat's entrance.   
     Dave pushed one in slowly, watching as Karkat's legs tensed slightly. He pushed another one in and and moved them slowly. Karkat whimpered and pushed back against Dave's hand. Dave hummed softly and scissored his fingers open. He leaned forward and kissed Karkat's cheek, curling his fingers. Karkat gasped, quickly turning into a moan as Dave continued to rub his prostate. Karkat turned his head, burying his face in the pillow. Dave kissed his back softly, thrusting his fingers harder. Karkat moaned loudly, arching his back, his legs shaking with the effort of keeping them up. He cried loudly into the pillow and clenched around Dave's fingers, spilling onto the sheets. Dave pulled his fingers out and leaned forward, kissing Karkat's neck softly. He turned Karkat onto his back and pressed their lips together, slowly sliding into Karkat.   
     Karkat moaned loudly, resting his forehead on Dave's shoulder. He bit down on his lip and whimpered softly as Dave thrust his hips. Karkat moaned his name quietly, nails digging into Dave's back as he whined deep in his throat. Dave let out a shaky breath and bent down, brushing his lips lazily against Karkat's as he continued to move his hips. His hips jerked and he moaned loudly, filling Karkat. Karkat whimpered and came on his stomach, letting his eyes slip shut as he panted quietly. Dave pulled out slowly and collapsed half onto Karkat, kissing his chest idly, tracing circles on Karkat's stomach with his other hand.   
     "Dave?" Karkat breathed, running his fingers through Dave's hair.  
     "Hm?"   
     "I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I'm sorry this chapter took so long to get up I've just been struggling with writing it so the rest of the chapters should be posted regularly. Also, I've been really thinking about the ending and uh... If I do plan to have it end how I currently am, I do not think you guys will be happy with it?  
> But uh... There will most likely be a sequel as ending a story like that and not continuing it in some way is really just a dick move but eh  
> Anyways yeah I would say you guys have shit to look forward to um... The story will probably be ending in a few chapters actually so uh... Sorry in advance.


	27. Chapter 27

     Dave woke up and slid out of bed, dressing as quietly as he could and slipping from the room, shutting the door quietly behind himself. He bit his lip and walked down the stairs, standing awkwardly in the doorway of the living room.   
     "You're up early." Kankri observed and Dave nodded, wringing his hands nervously. "Are you-"  
     "I-I want to marry your son." Dave stammered and Karcin looked up from his newspaper, and eyebrow raised. "I... Love Karkat I want-"  
     "I heard you." Karcin chuckled, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hands. "That's really sweet, and I mean no offense by this, but aren't you like... 12?" Dave bit his lip. "Oh no don't get sad. I was just joking. Seriously, it's really cute, and I'm glad you told me. I do think you are a little young-"  
     "I know. I know, I just..." Dave sighed deeply. Kankri cleared his throat.  
     "You could ask him now? Not engagement of course but maybe... Maybe a sort of promise ring type thing?" Dave chewed his lip for a moment, then looked at Karcin, who nodded.  
     "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea... Oh, he likes rubies! Maybe try to get a ring with a ruby... Also diamonds though he likes those... How much money will you need?"  
     "Wait, you-you're okay with that?"  
     "Of course. Oh, are you asking for my blessing? Yes, of course you can. He's been so much happier with you." Dave smiled.  
     "Thank you."  
     "Of course. So, do you want to go shopping for one now?" Dave bit his lip awkwardly.  
     "I uh... Actually thought I would stay in with him today. I don't think he can... Do much on his own right now..." Karcin stared at Dave, lips pressed together to suppress a grin.  
     "Did you break my son?" He forced back a laugh as Dave's face turned red.   
     "I-I um... W-We-"  
     "It's fine, Dave." He chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. "Just try to be quieter next time."  
     "Yes, sir." Dave whispered and went back upstairs. 

     Dave ran his fingers through Karkat's hair, humming quietly.   
     "Dave?" Karkat asked quietly.  
     "Hm?"  
     "I... I'm hungry..." Dave nodded and started to lifted Karkat up. "No! No, I can walk." Dave bit his lip.  
     "Okay. Let's go then." Karkat shrugged and sat up. He went rigid, fingers gripping the sheets. "You okay?"  
     "I'm fine!" Karkat snapped and pushed himself up. His face went white and he dug his teeth into his lip, staring down at the floor for a moment.   
     "Karkat. Babe. It's okay. I'll carry you."  
     "I'm f-"  
     "No, you aren't. It's okay if you need me to carry you. I couldn't move for days after the first time."  
     "You were the size of his thigh. You were he child!" Dave shrugged.  
     "Doesn't matter. We worked up to it so it was different. But we did it without that. Me being related to him isn't the point. I'm just trying to say that it's common courtesy." Karkat rolled his eyes and fell back onto the bed. Dave grabbed a pair of pajama pants for him and helped him get dressed, then scooped him up into his arms and nuzzled his neck. Karkat giggled softly and pecked Dave's lips, then pulled away and stared at Dave.  
     "You called me babe."  
     "What? No, I didn't." Karkat smiled.  
     "Yes you did." Dave scoffed loudly.   
     "Please. I would never."   
     "Mhmm." Karkat hummed, kissing Dave's jaw. "I love you. Babe." Dave rolled his eyes, his face red. "Don't be embarrassed. It's endearing."  
     "Whatever..." Dave mumbled an carried Karkat down the stairs.   
     Kankri glanced up as they entered the room, raising an eyebrow slightly before directing his attention back to his book. Karcin looked up and wiggled his eyebrows.  
     "Dave, I changed my mind. Take me back." Dave smiled gently and kissed Karkat's forehead.  
     "It's okay. They know what happened. They heard us." Karkat's face turned red and he hid it in the crook of Dave's neck. "They're fine with it, Karkat. What do you want to eat?"  
     "Death."  
     "Karkat." Karkat sighed. "Pancakes okay?"  
     "Yeah..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I don't think I'm going to end this how I was originally going to because that shit is really cliched and shit so the next chapter is actually going to be the last.


	28. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the time skip but you know  
> Also wow still no title

_*2 years later*_

 

Dave stared down at the ring in his hands, watching the sunlight glint off the red steel. Dave fumbled with the ring for a moment as he heard soft footsteps on the grass behind him. Karkat sat down beside Dave, glancing down at his pocket. Dave leaned over and pressed his lips to Karkat's, lifting a hand up to cup his cheek.   
     "Gh- Dave!" Karkat gasped as Dave's other hand slid up his shirt. Dave hummed questioningly and looked up at Karkat. "W-We're outside! Someone could see us.." Dave smiled slightly but pulled away, laying back and propping himself up on an elbow. He shrugged slightly. "God- Are you into that?" Karkat asked his face red.   
     "Yeah, but if you aren't I'll wait until later." Karkat hid his face in his hands, rolling away from Dave. "Or not at all. I'm sorry." Karkat looked over his shoulder at Dave.  
     "It's okay. I just... Fuck, that's... Wow." Karkat pecked Dave's lips. "So why did you want to come out here?" Dave shrugged, flopping down on his back and staring up at the sky.  
     "Stargazing."  
     "It's four in the afternoon."   
     "Damn, we got here too early. I guess we can come back some other time..." Karkat rolled his eyes. "Or we could wait here until it gets dark enough. We can always sleep in the car."   
     "Dave. Do you really think I'm that stupid?" Dave sighed.   
     "I wanted to ask you something." Karkat raised an eyebrow. "I thought we could just cloudgaze for a little while." Karkat snorted slightly but adjusted himself so his head rested on Dave's stomach. 

     "Dave, it's almost dark. What were you gonna ask?" Karkat questioned and Dave sighed. He nudged Karkat off his stomach and stood up, grabbing Karkat's hand and pulling him up. "Why are we standing?"  
     "Shhh. You have to stand or it to be right."  
     "Are you going to sit down?" Dave smiled nervously and slowly lowered himself down on one knee. He cleared his throat, looking up at Karkat as his hand slid into his pocket.  
     "Karkat Vantas, from the moment I saw you, I knew I loved you."  
     "You hated me." Karkat mumbled and Dave sighed.  
     "From the moment I saw you, I knew I loved you. I'd never thought about my future before, but since I met you I haven't been able to stop. I know it's a scary thing. Binding yourself to one person forever but... I know I want to be with you forever. I never want to leave your side. If that... If that's something you want, then I promise to never leave you side." Dave pulled the box from his pocket. "Will you marry me?"   
     "Yes. Yes, of course." Karkat whimpered, letting Dave slip the ring onto his finger. Karkat immediately tackled Dave to the ground, kissing him ferociously. "I love you so fucking much."  
     "I love you too."

     "Dave, we should go home. It's late." Karkat yawned.  
     "But the stars are so pretty." Dave said, thumb brushing over the ring on Karkat's finger. "You're so pretty. Your pale skin shining in the moonlight."  
     "You're paler than me." Karkat grumbled and Dave chuckled. "Besides, my dad will get worried."  
     "No he won't. I talked to him about this a while ago." Karkat sighed. "But we can go home if you want."   
     "No. No, I want to be alone with you." Karkat pecked Dave's lips gently, then rested his head on Dave's chest, listening to the soft thumping of his heart. "Thank you."  
     "For what?"  
     "Saving me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the bad ending but...   
> Anyways I just wanted to thank you guys for reading this (and hopefully enjoying it). I know it wasn't that great but I've been struggling with a lot of shit and it's been hard for me to be motivated but you guys have been really understanding and I really appreciate it.


End file.
